


Of Masters and Doctors

by VerseNaberrie



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Episode: The Day of the Doctor, Episode: s10e12 The Doctor Falls, Episode: s12e10 The Timeless Children, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-23 02:09:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 23,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23670682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VerseNaberrie/pseuds/VerseNaberrie
Summary: There was a bang, then flash and suddenly Doctor, Master and Missy weren't alone anymore. How will they survive on a Mondasian colony ship with their past and future reincarnations?
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/The Master (Simm), Thirteenth Doctor/The Master (Dhawan), Twelfth Doctor/Missy
Comments: 57
Kudos: 141





	1. Trailer Spot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me, but it is not a new chapter, but it will come in next week :)   
> Meanwhile, please see a trailer spot for the fanfic, which I made :)  
> (Some of you might see it before, as I took one of my old vids with War and 10-12 Doctors, but here I added 13th and Dhawan Master :)
> 
> You may also see my other vids at: https://www.youtube.com/user/VerseNaberrie


	2. Of Doctors

It was suppose to be easy. A ship in danger. Bill, Nardole and Missy to the rescue. Doctor supervising the action from the Tardis. However, everything ended much much differently - they found Earth's former prime minister (Master), the ship was actually from Mondas, Bill wasn't Bill anymore and Cyberman were chasing them! Thankfully, they managed to reach 507th level and gained some time to find the elevators' door, which could take them back to Doctor's Tardis.

But, before any of them could push the button - There was a bang, then flash and suddenly Doctor found himself looking at his 10th, 11th and War incarnation, who were as astonished as him.

Master and Missy looked at each other completely speechless. Billy, even in her metal body, only stared confused as well. Actually, everyone seemed to change into a statue.

It was the Tenth version, who reacted at first, throwing himself at the Master and babbling something like 'you clever bastard. I knew that you survived'.

"Let me go, fool!" Master demanded, while trying to free himself from Doctor's hug.

"Of course, you didn't die, it wasn't your style. How could it be? You're always full of back up plans. Stupid, stupid, stupid Doctor."

"Ugh... agreed."

"Hold it, wait a minute, from when are you?" Eleventh reincarnation joined in and grabbed the evil time lord from the opposite site, while scanning him with the screwdriver. "What? After that Christmas? It's impossible. How can you be here?"

"Release me right now! And I'm ordering you both!"

"I've never thought that I'd be happy to see you."

"...dis...gusting..."

"What?!" Eleventh Doctor was shocked. "Are taking advantage of me and you are hypnotizing me? Oh, no. Stop it! Do you hear me? And you, other me, stop smiling immediately!"

"...can't... breath..."

" 'You are happy to see me' ?" Missy glared at the oldest Doctor in the group.

"Huh?"

"You are happy to see me." she quoted again.

"... listen, Missy, we have a more serious situation in front of us."

"You ARE happy to see me." Doctor took a one step away from her (just in case). "I hope that you had a good excuse to explain why he is oh so sickly cheerful."

"Come on, when we saw ourselves in these bodies, I couldn't be rather pleased with your cyberman escapade."

"Don't play dumb and reminder yourself why exactly I did it."

He could scarcely forget. Even if for him, it was another cruel fight and difficult decision to make, for Missy - it was a hope of having her friend back (also, destruction/fun/clever plotting as a bonus).

Meanwhile, War Doctor massaged his temple. Living wasn't already easy, the Moment was suppose to help and end the Time War, but unfortunately it made only everything complicated. Futhermore, his reincarnations ignored him (how rude). It left him with only one interlocutor to choose:

"Excuse me, young lady, I'm the Doctor. Would you know what is it this place? I'm afraid that my... colleagues are rather lacking in providing any kind of information."

Before Bill could reply, Twelfth Doctor was already on him and demanding to repeat what he had just said.

"What are you taking about, old man? She is a human girl. Black curly hair. Brown eyes. Certainly, not a cyberman."

"...that's...unusual... do you see Bill like that?"

"Yes. And how do you see her?"

"Air!" Master shouted with his last pack of oxygen.

"For stars' sake, let myself go!" Missy pushed her past reincarnation away from two Doctors. "Haven't you realised that he is hardly breathing?"

"At last, being strangled by two idiots is the worst death scenario, which I would have... "

"Sit down for now, dear, and rest. What? Why are you looking at me like that? Please close your mouth Bow Tie, a fly could jump in ... or don't, no, don't, I would love to see what you would do. It'd be quite funny."

"Oi! I'm not...nevermind... are you...somehow...I mean..."

"...before you looked different..." Tenth Doctor tried to help.

"...much different...well... you are a female Master now."

"Mistress!"

"Yikes! Yes. Sorry, it's like..." he made a move with your hands describing her form. "We are a bit shocked. Right, guys?"

Silence.

"You aren't helping!"

"Are you blushing?" Missy asked. "Goodness, you all are blushing! Seriously? I just needed to wear a dress to get your attention? Master, can you believe that?"

"It must be midlife crisis, Sis."

"I'm surely not doing it." Eleventh whispered to his Tenth reincarnation."Am I?"

"Yes, you are."

"Look at yourself, sand shoes!"

"Oi!"

"Are we expecting more of our versions? It's already crowdy" the War doctor asked exasperated.

"I have a better question: what the hell happened to the elevator's door!? It's gone!" Master demanded.


	3. Of Masters

"OK, sis, to sum up." Master took a deep breath, then started: "Why do we have three additional walking menaces on the ship?"

"Because Doctor from the Time War thought that with the Moment, he would be able to end it. Unfortunately, the machine didn't like his idea, thus it teleported them here and it didn't want to share its plan (I've always been saying that sentient weapons were useless, except when they served my needs). Well, at least we have a place in the front row now and we can watch how exactly 'save the Gallifrey' played out. "

"Why did the elevator vanish?"

"The Moment probably doesn't want us to leave the ship."

"Why can't we find it?"

"The Moment did something..."

"Why is the cybergirl seen as a human by one group, but by the other - as a cyberman?"

"The Moment also did something. (This hybrid of perception filter sounds interesting.)"

"Why were we moved 14 days back in time, but thankfully there are only our current versions on the ship? (When, I say 'current', ignore that four idiots on the loose.)"

"The Moment did... "

"Listen, Missy, you said that summarizing the whole crazy situation would calm me down or would point the solution for the whole mess. But it isn't helping!"

"I said it 'could' and I was talking about myself."

"Whatever," Master sighed. "However leaving the group and going for a walk was a good idea. They were so noisy. Do you think that they have noticed that we are missing?"

"MASTER AND MISSY ARE GONE! I TOLD YOU TO HAVE ON EYE ON THEM!" They both heard Twelfth Doctor's shout.

"I thought that you meant the sand shoes..." The Bow Tie squeaked.

"Master, I think that we should speed up."

"Definitely, Missy." He agreed. "Hopefully, together they will be able to find out something and we can just rest. Especially, that the Eggman already contacted the locals and we will have dinner already waiting for us."

"Potato soup again, oh joy."

"Believe me, the kitchen below was much worse."

"We have too many things provided under our noses actually."

"Yep, I know." he groaned. "Food, shelter, villagers, additional time span. They would be even less hostility for the cybergirl ... As if the Moment wanted us to be stuck in one place, but avoid troubles as much as possible. Ugh, now we just need to wait for the part when all goes wrong."

ooo

It was suppose to be easy. Grab the Doctor. Go back to the Gallifrey. Show her the truth about the timeless child. Sit comfortably and enjoy watching her breaking down.

He found Doctor near the place, which was called as the Boundary and took her hand, but instead of being teleported to Gallifrey - there was a bang, then flash and suddenly Master found himself looking at his female and Prime Mister reincarnation, who were as astonished as him. Oh, his shocked lady Doctor was there as well.

"Do you see...?"

"Yes, sis."

"They both...?"

"Yes, sis."

"Thank the stars, they are real." Missy breathed relieved. "I've thought that I would need to add another mental disorder to the list."

"Well, Doctor...I must say that there has been some improvement." Master commented, while looking at the new time lady from head to toes and correcting his collar. "As I haven't seen you in this body, let me introduce myself properly again. I'm the Master." he presented one of his best charming smiles and gently put Doctor's palm in his.

"Yuck! No kissing!" the time lady quickly took his hand back.

"Come on, it's the first form with which I won't be ashamed to be seen in public and you're jumping away?" he turned to Missy. "Do you think that he was inspired by you?... Why are your eyes glowing with such rage?"

"YOU!"

ooo

"No. No. No. Bad sis, very bad sis. Let go of his neck right now!" Master demanded, while pushing the time lady as far away from his other self as he could.

"TELL ME WHAT YOU DID!" Missy ordered.

"...I don't.. kno...what...mean..." New Master answered between gasps.

"Let him go!" Saxon Master shouted again. "Doctor, are you helping or not!?"

"Her grip is too strong!" She replied from the other side, where with her hold on New Master's jacket, she also tried to move him away.

"Oi, my newest self, do you want to invent a new type of suicide? If not, use your hands!"

"...a...ir..."

"Ugh, it isn't a good day for my neck. All right, enough!" with that word, he let go of Missy's waist, making the whole group to fall down. It was rather painful for his two reincarnation, but at the far bottom landed Doctor, who served as a nice cushion, so he didn't mind much. "Sis, with your grasp, he wouldn't be able to reveal anything, even if he wanted to. Master, just don't fight and tell her what she wishes, because she always achieves her goals. I know as I'm myself. Doctor, as soon as you will clean yourself from that mud, do you fancy a stroll in the forest? I promise that I'd behave as a proper gentleman." Of course, he crossed his fingers behind his back.

"I know this place... is it Mondasian Colony ship?" Doctor looked around.

"Yes. (Sis, stop it.)" Master answered, while helping Missy with getting up and saving his other self from the definite death again.

"Oh, no."

"Actually, oh, yeeees."

"But it doesn't make sense!" Doctor looked at the New Master. "I know that you didn't intend it. How have we ended at...?"

"Silence!" Missy managed to brush all the dirt from her dress, but her mood still screamed 'I want blood'. "Listen, blondy, I know that you are after that arrogant Scotsman, so turn right and run straight back to your miserable fan club, or would you prefer to stay and have some fun with me?"

"Running with a light speed... Is it some new ability, which Doctor would get in future?" Ex-Prime Minister asked his future male reincarnation, when they both watched as a small cloud of dust was floating near the place, where the time lady stood a moment ago.

"Alone at last." Missy said. "I'm waiting for explanation."

"You start." The New Master demanded. "I doubt that I'd still be alive, if I told you my story first."

"Oh, silly boy, I was only joking."

"Then hide that knife."

In the end, it was Saxon Master, who decided to describe everything as best as he could. The colony ship. The cyberman. The Moment, which most probably caused the sudden appearance of two time lords. Their new self didn't take it well.

"Wow, he destroyed that tree almost with his bare hands." Master was nicely surprised. "I'll be so cool in the future."

"IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THAT! I HAD A PLAN!"

"Funny, me too." Missy yawned.

"Sis, why are you so bitter toward him? OK, his plotting isn't going well ("I am here, you know!" new time lord shouted.), but he is still another clever and handsome version of us. And please don't say that it'd destroy the time continuity. We've already passed that. It can't get worse...hopefully..."

Missy told them everything. Then, New Master told them everything.

"F**k."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In Missy Chronicles book, it is rather strongly suggested that Missy actually met a female doctor. It could be number 13 ;).


	4. Of Names

"Five Doctors... I died and ended in Hell." New Master complained, when he and his two selves reached their temporary residence at deck 507.

As all were already informed about cyberman, the whole place was in move. Children were rushed into the house, adults with the support from Eggman and cybergirl were preparing the surrounding for possible danger and Doctors seemed to hotly debate the current situation.

"Taking in consideration all things, it isn't so horrendously bad." Ex-Prime Minister commented.

"... you shouldn't say it aloud."

"Imagine having the one with crazy pink outfit here, he just couldn't shut up. I became deaf for a few minutes because of him."

"Or the one with opera cape." Missy pointed. "He was constantly complaining about everything."

"It still doesn't make me feel better." New Master massaged his temple. "Oh, to make matters more interesting, the lady Doctor is coming here."

"What have you told them?" Doctor demanded, while pointing at Missy and second Master.

"Hello, to you too."

"Well?"

"That what's needed, of course. And you?"

"Enough."

"Glad to know that you 'trust' yourself." he sneered, when the whole Doctor group was reaching them.

"Where have you been?" Twelfth Doctor asked the dark time lady. "We are having a multiverse regeneration crisis and you disappeared for hours. Missy, it isn't..."

"Mistress." she interjected coldly.

"Huh?"

"It's Mistress. Don't ever forget about it."

He froze. Yes, they had many quarrels in the past and Missy quite often could present how displeased she was, but it had never sounded so heartless.

The shock on his face probably was visible and lasted long enough to have the youngest Doctor took pity on him and steered the conversation in other way.

"We managed to make these provisional communicators, so we can stay in touch. Presuming, that you would like to answer them at all." he eyed all Masters sceptically, when giving them small grey boxes. "Now, Master, it's a good time to tell us if you really revealed everything about the ship."

"Why would I need to hide anything?" the newest evil newcomer was confused.

"I was talking to the other Master and to answer your question, because you are you. You always conceal that what suits to your needs."

"Oi, the youngster is speaking to you." Missy nudged the man, who stopped admiring how lady Doctor's hair were moving in the wind.

"What?"

"The ship."

"Yes, sure. (But I still love you the most, sis.)" he turned to Doctor from the Time War. "Listen, I'm in this too. Leaving the flying wreck is the one of my main objectives. I already told the Big Brows all what I know, haven't he shared it with you?"

"Doctor." suddenly Missy raised her voice.

"Yes?" five heads looked at her, making the time lady sigh.

"All right. At first, we would need to solve the case of names."

"What is there to solve?" Eleventh reincarnation questioned. "I'm the Doctor."

"As well as other few of you."

"There is also two of you."

"Very well. Any suggestions, brooothers?"

"I think 'Prime Master' is cool, sis." the blond time lord proposed.

"Seriously?" Tenth version asked.

"Yup." he nodded and winked to the youngest Doctor. "Our private joke."

"I won't use it." New Master stated.

"I know!" the lady Doctor shouted. "We can name the new guy Master O..."

Deadly glare.

"...O... oh, oh, no, I don't have idea."

"Spymaster. And yes, it's OUR private joke."

"Fascinating." Master said, while looking between his future self and the fair time lady.

"Can I be a Super Doctor?" Eleventh version proposed.

"Super Baby sounds better. Let's vote."

"Why are you all raising your hands?! It isn't funny!"

"Enough." Missy stopped them all. "We can't spend the whole day for such a childish topic. We will just call you Doctor, Ten, Eleven, Twelve and unlucky Thirteen."

("Why unlucky?" / "Silence, blondy!" / "Yikes!")

"Great." Eleven groaned. "We ended as numbers."

"Yeah, personally, I would choose: idiot, moron or puppy eyes, baby, grumpy and a date for tonight." Master added.

("Ten, with the last one, he is talking about you, right?" Thirteen whispered.)

"Then it's decided. We will stay with it." Doctor agreed. "What now?"

("You're saying it only because your name isn't changing." Eleven pointed.)

"Isn't it obvious? When elevator is broken, look for stairs." Spymaster clarified.

Thirteen sighed. Yes, moving to the next deck will surely help right now. Especially, as she experienced the whole event at the colony ship before and they had some additional spare time. However, even with all of her past reincarnations in one place, Bill, Nardole, three Masters, Cyberman and the mystery of timeless child, none of those worried her the most.

She glance at Twelve, who since Missy's cold outburst was suspiciously silent and even barely took a side in voting for 'Super Baby'... and who was looking straight at her!

Oh, no. Unlucky Thirteen started doubting that explaining was ever her strong side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> somehow, I pity Eleventh. Oh, he will have a lot of troubles.
> 
> We had a few masters and doctors in one talk, I hope that you didn't have problems in knowing who says what. As all of them have now their 'original' names describing what they are doing will be easier in next chapters.


	5. Of Sunglasses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My wonderful readers, a new chapter and happy Child's day :)

"So, no stairs." Master summarized, when all three of them sat on the porch of their current accommodation. (He positioned himself between Missy and Spymaster, just in case, if sis decided to throw herself on his second future self.)

"It seems that the Moment was very thoughtful, when making sure to have us stuck in one place." Spymaster slumped on his chair. Thankfully, locals hadn't used all furnitures as the anti-cyberman barricade yet. "Are you certain that there is no other way to reach your Tardis?"

"Teleport? But we would need to find parts to build it..." Master suggested.

"A hidden passage or other elevator? Even a vehicle?"

"Not to my knowledge. Anyway, don't you forget that entrances might be mined."

"Yes, we know! When inhabitants started moving up, they soon realised that the one from below would try to leave an 'unhealthy' deck as well. Spreading diseases, destroying further levels and so one. Thus they made sure to discourage anyone from conducting new journeys to the top. I am you, I remember everything what you said!"

"You don't have to be so touchy, bro."

"Take few deep breaths, it usually helps." Missy advised.

"You...! Never mind, let's have a walk and check your shuttle's remains."

"We already did that days ago. I mean me, Missy and Doctor Grandpa." Master pointed. "I wonder if I should ask if you remembered THAT."

"I insist."

"Why?"

"YOU LOST IT!" Twelve shouted at Ten. "HOW COULD YOU LOST YOUR COMMUNICATOR!? I GAVE YOU IT TWENTY MINUTES AGO!"

"Do I really need to clarify it?" Spymaster covered his ear.

"Pass." Missy agreed, while checking if she hadn't become deaf.

"Yes, silence is golden. Oh and blondy comes here. Sis, give me sunglasses."

"Which sunglasses?"

"The one, which you stole from your Doc."

"Ugh, here." the time lady took it from her jacket, but before lending it to the Master, she tapped it a few times. "He will grown up from it." she added to Spymaster, who regarded her disapprovingly.

"Hi, guys... or Masters and Missy..."

"Mistress."

"Yep... that as well..."

"Get to the point. You make me bored." Spymaster cut in, while rolling his eyes.

"As you want." Doctor straightened and turned to him. "Give me your communicator. We need to research the area and as I see that you lot aren't going anywhere, you won't probably need all three of them."

"No."

"Listen, I don't have time for this, if you don't..."

"You were right, brother. She is so average. Such huge disappointment..." Master commented.

"Oi! Those sunglasses are mine!"

"No, they are Twelve's."

"Doesn't matter. Why are you wearing them anyway?"

"It helps me in admiring the view? Or looking for weapons hidden under clothes? Layer by layer by layer. Oh, I can choose as much as I want and all is in colour." he smiled smugly, while his eyes never left Doctor's form.

"Pfts... they can't do that."

"Yes, they can." Missy said. "I'm not surprised that you have never thought about it. Sadly, your the most interesting ideas are put very deep in your brain's underground."

"Yikes! Stop! This isn't funny!" Unlucky Thirteen suddenly tightened her coat around herself clearly discomforted. "Wait a minute...how do you know that I'm average? I'm far from that!"

"This is what you get when asking which James Bond's suit should you choose... in only your underwear." Spymaster explained. "The old guy from your human team almost had a heart attack."

"Oops..." Thirteen backed away. "...but you both, how can you allow for it?"

"First of all, we aren't on your side." Missy replied. "Moreover, I installed a few restrictions concerning moi and my other self. ("Unfortunately." Master complained.) Therefore, our virtue is safe."

"What's more, the program is clever enough to activate itself, only when we look at an attractive person." Master added. "Just to not go blind, when seeing the Eggman without pants."

"He is an android."

"I still don't want to know what he has there."

"Hey, Thirteen." Eleven called her and soon joined them all on the porch. "Good news, Doctor said that he would be able to make another new communicator... why are you hiding behind me? Why is Missy wearing a sunglasses?"

"(Mistress.) For no reason."

"Sis, give it back!"

"'He will grown up from it' she said. Bullocks. " The newest Master muttered under his nose.

"Ugh, he isn't fascinating as well." Missy's face fell. "But the group over there... Oi! Spymaster, what are you...? You destroyed it! Why?"

"To accelerate the adulthood."

"No, sis. Don't jump on him."

"I may find you a new one, Missy..." Eleven tried to help.

"MISTRESS!"

And he was gone, taking Thirteen with himself.

"So did he learn the running super power in this regeneration?" Master asked, while glancing at the sudden empty spot on the veranda.

"Whatever."

"... I don't like the way how you look at each other." Master slowly get up. It seemed that sitting in the middle wasn't a good decision after all.

"He broke my sunglasses." Missy hissed.

"This is getting tiresome." Master massaged his temple. "I tried to calm you down as much as possible, but it appears that you won't control yourselves even in our strange circumstances. Just talk and say what must be said, I will be waiting over there. And please - no killing, I really would like to have a future, as crappy as it will be."


	6. Of Unexpected Meetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My wonderful readers, a new chapter and just in case I'm letting you know that I will be posting them once per 2 weeks, as I have some other projects to take care as well.

Master decided that the best position, which would allow him to observe his both future selves and grant them some privacy (or intervene, if required), was from a stone fence, located few meters away, which also surrounded their current residence.

With a satisfaction, he leaned against the barrier, while Missy and Spymaster seemed to be absorbed in a decent conversation. Probably...

"Hi..." an unexpected familiar voice, caused Master to turn around, then look down.

"Listen, this is my spot, go hide somewhere else."

"...I'm not hiding." Ten said and crouched even lower behind stones. "Actually, it was me, who was here first."

"Don't care. Shoo! Now! You don't want to? Then, I wonder if your older self would value the information where you are. However, in the same time, I would still be helping you, which wouldn't please me. Oh, the dilemma of crossing timelines..."

"OK. I get it. I will go." He stood up and Ex-Prime Minister hoped that it would end their short conversation, but as always Doctor just couldn't leave everything as it was.

"Master... let me ask... you are fine now, right? Not counting the whole timey wimey situation."

"What do you mean?"

"The drums are gone."

"What?!" if not for the fence between them, he would take a threatening step in Doctor's direction, which would certainly shut him up.

"I'm sorry that I didn't believe you. I know that you don't want to hear it, but I just had to say it."

"You're walking on a thin ice."

"Come on, Master. I thought that I was the last time lord a few hours ago. Stars, we were last of time lords! I don't believe that you were glad in joining 'extinct species' club, just like me."

Ex-prime minister should have grabbed his knife and jumped at the opponent, but the way Doctor mentioned that they were the last of their kind had made him stop and actually - curious.

"...so you were told about the Moment's final act."

"Yes." Ten shrugged.

"Are you content with it?"

"Of course. Well, with the most of it. However I'm not quite sure if bow ties are my type..."

"Really?

"You know, you don't have to be so mysteriously subtle in getting information out of me. You may just ask."

"What exactly were you told?" Master questioned with the tone, which firmly underlined his growing frustration.

"That what is needed." Ten smirked.

Master mentally sighed, he will need to use stronger ammunition.

"Your old grumpy self seems to come this way."

"Yikes!"

"Nope, false alarm. It's just a random human. You may stand up again. So, what do you know?"

"It isn't fair." Ten complained, while brushing the grass away from his suit. "You're taking advantage of my precarious situation."

"It's a part of my charm. Should I start shouting?"

"Ugh... and what was told to you?"

"Enough to choose my Master team."

"'Master Team'... It even sounds cool... cooler than mine..."

"Doctor!" he hissed and immediately stepped back. "What is it now? Why do you suddenly have puppy eyes?"

"You have no idea how nice it is to be called with my name. I'm just Ten now, a mere number, can you believe it? I'm barely standing it. It's like you're here, but you actually aren't. Or maybe is it the crossover thing and I'm getting a headache?"

"This is GETTING tiresome."

"Fine. To humour you, I may say that Gallifrey wasn't destroyed, but hidden." Doctor raised his hands to calm him down. "Twelve even managed to find it. We will also meet each other again, just before I regenerate... can I go back to crouching behind this lovely fence with the knowledge that you won't betray me now?"

"Maybe."

"Listen, plotting won't help. Neither of our regenerations was prepared to be on this ship with the current company. It's obvious that we will have a lot of troubles, but you don't have to be in this alone. Any of you. We can work all out together."

Then Doctor send him his warm smile and optimistic gaze, which Master sparely seen during that particular year and briefly wondered if it would win him over now, if he didn't know the truth.

"I hope that Twelve also told you what I did to get here."

Basing on how his face fell, the evil time lord smirked in cold satisfaction.

"Our lovely chat is very... enlightening, but I'm not in the mood to continue it. So, not see you later and... Oi! Let go of my arm!

"I wasn't faking it. I really was happy to see you." Another determined glint appeared in Doctor's eyes and didn't vanish, even when he released him.

"Rethink it, because you know nothing." Master said, only because to have him, who had the last word in their unplanned meeting.

" _I need to leave this dammed ship._ " he thought on his way to the porch. " _Talking with a person from your past isn't natural. Let's hope that two parts of my future are still there._ "

"Both alive, good." Master commented, while looking at Missy and Spymaster, who tried pretending that her/his hand/leg/neck(?) wasn't broken and moving wasn't actually painful. Not at all. "Ready for a nice walk?"

"Of course, brother."

"Yep."

"But let's move a little slower..."

"...exactly..."


	7. Of Flowers

With a spare time was like that: you did what had to be done, then there were extra hours just for yourself (or days, or even a week), then you could rest and enjoy a moment of peacefulness.

'The fortress' at level 507 was prepared as best as they could in around three days, allowing time lords to completely focus on finding a way out of the ship, thus some adults and children could spend a few hours outside the house, but still in close proximity.

Some would call it as 'having a fun', the other - as laziness. Hazran, a corpulent lady in charge of the settlement, belonged to the second group.

"If you aren't younger than fifteen years old, get up and do something useful." she told all Masters, who decided to 'borrow' few blankets, pillows, fruits (or biscuits, when available) and make a picnic in a safe distance from their residence.

Ex-Prime Minister disliked the woman from the beginning. None of his companions would listen to whatever she would say anyway, but Hazran was too bossy for her own good. Unfortunately for him, killing was forbidden, but Master had never regretted on the lack of ideas.

ooo

"Missy? For you."

"Narcissuses? How lovely! Oh, you shouldn't have, Master."

"Aren't those from the garden, which everyone was told to never ever touch?" Spymaster questioned, while sitting more comfortably among pillows.

"Oh, you devil." Missy shouted excitedly, not even a bit worried of consequences.

"I hope that you will be as happy as now," Spymaster continued. "when the fat lady will found out that her flowers vanished."

"As if I wouldn't have thought about that. Believe me, I have a plan." The youngest of them smirked and thanked Missy, who pinned a yellow narcissus to his coat.

"See? Cheer up and enjoy the weather." time lady said and put another flower into Spymaster's jacket.

"I prefer roses." he pouted. "Bloody reddish."

"Give me one, when you will find them."

"No, chance." Master said to the disappointment of his two colleagues. "Whoever was responsible for the flora and fauna of ship made sure to exclude any dangerous plants or animals."

"Roses? Seriously?" Missy asked astonished.

"You may cut your finger?"

True, all Masters liked deadly and poisonous plants. Earth was full of them, unfortunately they weren't available in every flower shop or were just ugly (Venus flytrap looked exactly as that disgusting meal, which they were forced to eat during their childhood. Yuck!). Roses seemed as the best option - strong, beautiful and full of spikes. Moreover, it was funny, when someone was unexpectedly pricked by them.

ooo

" _Taking all in the consideration, it was even a nice day_." Missy thought, while looking for a vase for her flowers, then she would be able to sneak it into the bedroom. (Even if the time lady had to share it with a few other women, she knew how to force them to be silent.)

"Oh, it's you." Missy commented, when she entered the kitchen with a slightly miserable Ten inside. "What are you doing here?"

"Hazran asked me and Eleven to help her in washing dishes." he replied from his place at the table.

"And?" the time lady noted that there weren't any dirty plates or cups near the sink. There weren't any dishes at all.

"Well, Eleven was too excited in the job..."

"Let me guess, he broke all of them, thus he was told to clean the mess and you both should just sit here and don't touch anything."

Ten shrugged.

"I wonder why I'm not surprised." Missy sighed. "What is it now? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"...you look nice..." he pointed at two narcissuses, which the time lady put into her hair.

She wasn't blushing. She definitely wasn't blushing. Only Doctor was. Ugh, why did she have to have a soft spot for this regeneration?

"AAAA! Plastic flowers!" A horrified Eleven walked in, grabbed narcissuses from Missy's hands and started crouching them as if they would suddenly change into snakes (which actually, with Masters, was highly probable).

"Wait!" Ten tried to push him away. "These really are just regular flowers!"

"What?"

"Simple plants, you can find plenty of them outside!" The youngest Doctor continued.

"My narcissuses..." Missy sobbed. "YOU ARE DEAD!"

"No, stop. He didn't mean it." Ten said, while holding her as far away from Eleven as it was possible.

"Murderer!"

"You're exaggerating."

"Fine. I may calm down." Missy stated and pointed at the massacre on the floor. "But I hope that you will do something about it."

"Huh? Me?"

"Yes! He destroyed my flowers. I want a recompensate."

"Umm... I'll be back in a moment and don't do anything to him."

"You can't just leave me here!" Eleven panicked, when Ten ran out the house.

"Males, typical..." Missy snorted. "If somebody won't do it for you, do it by yourself."

"Don't come any closer!" Doctor took few steps back.

"You've made a trampoline from my narcissuses." she hissed.

"I thought that they were from plastic."

"How was I suppose to make them?!"

"You built a space ship from trash at the end of universe!"

"Well, of course. I'm a genius. But for what the hell reason I would need these plastic things?! (Except of throwing them at Cyberman, but for that I would surely invent something more practical.)"

"I don't know! Because it's Tuesday?!"

"I only hate Sundays!"

"I'm back!" Ten appeared again. "For you."

"Did you bring me daisies?" Missy eyed a small bouquet, which younger Doctor was holding up for her with his kind smile. The time lady really hoped that she wasn't blushing.

"SO IT WAS YOU!" Hazran suddenly entered the kitchen, with broom in her hand and not well intentions in mind.

"AAA!" Eleven screamed and stormed out of the house with the woman close by.

"No, wait, Ms. In Charge!" Missy shouted after them. "Don't do it!"

"Yes," Ten agreed. "We must help him and explain somehow that it wasn't him."

"What? No, not at all. I want to hit him first!"

ooo

"Do you hear it?" Spymaster asked his younger self. "Something like 'no, not on the head, please don't hurt me, please both leave me alone'?"

ooo

"Wow, what has happened?" Both Masters joined Missy in the front of the house with the body of a bow-tie Doctor lying on the ground.

"Is she.. gone?" a semi-alive Eleven asked.

"Yes. She is. Stars, I'm telling you it for the fifth time." Missy answered frustrated, then turned to her two male selves. "Sorry, it seems that we hit him too hard and he has a slight concussion or something...Ten went for bandages and will take care of him soon."

"At least, he didn't regenerate." Spymaster commentated. "With so many grandpas, it'd be a pure nightmare. Oi, Eleven! Does it hurt, when I touch this?"

"AAA!"

"Yikes. What did he do to deserve such inhuman punishment?" Master inquired with a false concern.

"The victim is on the floor in kitchen." Missy sobbed again. "May the Sun shines for you in the garden of Eden my sweet narcissuses."

"No! He didn't."

"Yes!"

"I see." Master glared at Doctor in this special way.

Eleven gulped.

ooo

"Funny, I don't recall that he was hit so hard." Ten said, when he returned with the first aid kit in hand.

"I avenged the lady's honour." Master explained.

"My black knight in shining armour!" Missy threw her hands around his neck.

"You really are the same person. You both are overreacting." Ten sighed. "Don't you like daisies? I know, you are a rose person, but they also seem nice."

There was a small consternation between three Masters.

"Are roses on this deck? I couldn't find any." Doctor continued. "I understand that blue ones are hard to get (I really like them), but red, white, pink or yellow are quite common. There are even rhymes about them."

"What?" Missy asked confused.

"Oh, you know: Roses are red, Violets are blue,..."

"No! How do you know that?" Master clarified.

"You told me."

"For stars' sake - When?!" Spymaster shouted.

"On Valiant, for example. (Or maybe somewhere else...) Oh, by the way, I couldn't get any Belladonnas as well."

Masters still eyed Doctor, as if he suddenly got an extra head.

"Come on, there wasn't much to do and you were my only entertainment," Ten explained. "when you weren't playing the God of Death, of course."

"And you've remembered it, just so?" Spymaster almost sneered.

He shrugged.

"He...l...p..." Eleven groaned.

"Better take care of your patient, Doctor." Master stated with obvious intention to end this strange conversation. "We are leaving."

ooo

In the end Missy didn't take the bouquet with herself, but she did found it at her bedside table at the same evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually real like 11th Doctor, I did plan to have him to be a comic character in fic, but it seems that he became a punching bag as well O_O
> 
> No worries, he will survive, but well... his 'comic' role is not over.
> 
> I made Master to like roses, as in "Master of Callus" he said that he found a barren planet with a single rose and that its never dies. He also underlined that he would never allow anyone to cut it, because it was so special. I think that it suits him/her.
> 
> I hope that you don't mind that I made a rather dark Hazran, but I needed someone with a broom ;)


	8. Of Fights - Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry that it is so short, but I did not manage to finish the chapter fully, i will post in this week next part

"All right, tell me what are you building behind my back?" Lady Doctor demanded from Spymaster, whom she caught casually strolling around the house.

"Why?"

"Because, we must trust each other. If not - we can't even dream of leaving the ship or surviving."

"Is it even worth surviving?" Spymaster murmured under his nose.

"Huh?"

"I already told Twelve everything, ask him. I won't waste my time for doing it twice."

"I prefer to hear it from you." Doctor crossed her arms and refused to move from his way.

"Seriously?"

"He doesn't know you as well as I, he may not recognize your tricks."

"Oh, now I see," Spymaster leaned over her, like over a very interesting specimen. "you're on his bad side, aren't you?"

"Excuse me!?"

"Or you're just scared of him."

"I'm defenitelly not!"

ooo

"Missy, are they quarrelling again?" Master sprawled himself on the stone fence a good distance from Spymaster and his (probably) almost favourite Doctor.

"Yep."

"Who is winning?"

"It's a draw for now. But I have something, which will help my 'dear' brother win this match."

"Throwing a mud ball isn't sufficient, Sis."

"Of course, it is. I have always had a good aim."

ooo

"You lazy ... AAA!" Unlucky Thirteen shouted. "What is it? Who did this!?"

"That's funny." Spymaster laughed.

Doctor turned around and saw Master standing meters away, who cursed mentally, as it seemed that he became the main suspect of her misfortune (Missy quickly hid herself behind stones a few seconds ago).

"Take that!"

Ex-Prime Minister didn't manage to dodge, so in response he tossed his mud ball in Thirteen's direction, which actually hit Spymaster. There were another several throws, each one reaching everyone except a chosen time lord. Suddenly, Missy shouted 'Mud fight', then children, few adults and one Bow tie Doctor joined the game and it was a fight over the whole place.

ooo

"Are you happy now?!" Spymaster was more than glad to show how much furious he was.

"Relax," Missy wasn't intimidated. "you look horrible with all that dirt, but it can be easily solved with a nice long shower."

"How joyful." Spymaster sneered.

"In my defence, I'll tell you that I only wanted to help."

"My clothes..." Master complained. "Sis, hold my coat, sand got under my shirt."

"You too? Come on, you got hit only six times, you're practically clean comparing to him."

"So, that's true." a new voice appeared next to them. "It was you, who started the fight."

"Yikes!" Master jumped back and hastily buttoned his shirt up. "Stop, sneaking out! Dying from a hearth attack is so unfashionable."

The youngest Doctor only shrugged.

"Come," Missy pushed her other selves in the direction of the house. "I'll walk you to the bathroom and ask some miserable locals to wash your clothes."

Doctor sighed, he had only a few occasions to interact with the Master group, but it was clear that non of them had grown up much since his last meeting with one of their regeneration. However, it wasn't what bothered Doctor the most. The time lord was rather more curious in the thing, which he saw on Ex-Prime Minister's back, just under his shirt.


	9. Of Fights - Part II

"I must say, it was a great fun!" Eleven gesticulated excitedly, not caring that the mud from his jacket was falling on everyone around him. "Right, Thirteen?"

"..."

"You're gloomy, because it was me and kids, who won!"

"I'll try pretending that you both aren't covered in... whatever is lying on the ground and just wait for all of us to join." Twelve shook his head with disapproval and then quickly covered his nose. "Ugh, but you do stink! Why haven't you taken a bath before coming?"

"There was already a long queue." Thirteen answered resigned.

"Can you believe that Master and Spymaster went in without waiting for their turn?" Eleven added. "That's rude!"

"Yes, I can!" Twelve exploded. "We're talking about evil megalomaniacs, who like to look dashing!"

It seemed that the day was getting more obnoxious with each passing minute. However, from the other hand, Twelve admitted to himself that the recent game could be a quite advantage - both Masters would spend good two-three hours in the bathroom trying to remove the awful stench (certainly not plotting behind his back), as for Missy... Doctor wasn't completely sure what her aim was now... Twelve was so confident of her before landing on the ship... deep down, in the most hidden part of his hearts, he even started calling her his friend... No, not now. Doctor asked all of his regenerations to meet in the nearby forest and on that point he should focus at first.

"Sorry, for being late." Ten appeared among trees. "Missy asked me to built a washing machine and it took some time."

"...What have you just said?" Twelve asked after a few seconds pause.

"...a washing machine." The newcomer repeated confused. "For cleaning clothes..."

"What!?"

"Listen, it isn't just for her. There are around nine children jackets and trousers to wash. It will be much quicker like that than doing it by hand." he glanced at Eleven and Thirteen, all covered in mud. "Moreover, we can also use it. (Oh, no, I forgot to add dryer!)"

"And you have just volunteered?" The time lord crossed his arms.

"I was only passing by and overheard her conversation with Hazran. Then, it was me or one of Masters, and I wanted to avoid having an 'explosive clean-out' button on the washing machine. See? In overall, it was much safer in that way."

"He's right in this." Eleven agreed.

"Nobody was asking about your opinion!" Twelve glowered over Bow Tie regeneration, who shrink back.

"Doctor is coming... with Bill." Ten observed. "I thought that the meeting is only for us."

"I invited her, as she may enlighten us in one case." the youngest time lord explained, when he joined the group.

"At first, I'd like to know what Spymaster is building." Thirteen cut in.

"Didn't he tell you?" Twelve raised his eyebrow. "Eleven, you were supposed to inform everybody."

"I did... except of Thirteen... but there was the game and she was playing as well..."

"I was escaping!" the time lady clarified. "Or rather, Master/Missy threw first mud ball at me, then it just went by..."

"I see." Twelve shook his head for n-th time during the day. "Spymaster wanted to make a few drones, which we could send to several levels above and beneath us. They would be able to squeeze through these narrow ventilator shafts. What's more, the one, which would be sent to lower floors, could warn us if cyberman were coming. Probably only by five minutes, but it's better than nothing."

"Why do you intend sending them up?"

"There is a storage with short-distance vehicles, similar to the ship, which brought us here. Do you remember? We discovered them around tenth day of our stay at deck 507th, but we hardly had any time or resources to take any initiative in this direction."

"Oh, yeah. There was something."

"Exactly. Now, with bigger group, we can try activating one ship and maybe even steer it back to down."

"There would be problems with receiving signal." Thirteen pointed. "Would a drone even have enough time to reach it?"

"Do you have better idea?" He threw his hands up.

"Haven't you thought that they may be building a bomb or something worse?"

"That's why Nardole volunteered to supervise the project. Each one of us will have his/her turn once per few hours. Day and night. Drones will never be left alone and we will make sure that somebody has an eye on Masters... as long as they won't run off somewhere else..."

"So we do the usual. " the youngest Doctor summed up with a sigh. "Trust Master to behave as much as it's possible."

"NO, you can't trust him! None of them! Never!" Thirteen shouted suddenly, making all of them to step back.

"Why?" Twelve, who appeared to be the least shocked, questioned her.

The time lady remained silent, but her eyes were as determined as a second ago.

"I thought so. Practically, you barely provided any information about yourself. I would be lying if I said that it was unreasonable. It's fine, completely fine. This can hardly be called as a normal day and you must have your own reasons, which justifies the situation. However, it also bothers me..." Twelve leaned over her clearly frustrated. "The only certain thigh is that I will survive, but what about others? What about Bill, Nardole, Missy, Alit, Hazran and settlers?"

"Doctor." Potts spoke with a warming in her tone.

"And, why do I feel that you are hiding something very important than ever before?"

"Don't be harsh on her." Ten stepped in front of the time lady. "I'm sure, Thirteen tries as best as she can."

"Then maybe she would like to be more generous in sharing information with us! Do you even realise why I've gathered you here? Because of her! She may be voicing her opinion, but only to agree with whatever I propose in the end. It shouldn't be me leading all of you, she is the oldest and the best knowledgeable person among us. Which means, that something will get wrong, horribly horribly wrong."

"Doctor! Take a deep breath." Bill raised her voice.

"That's why we aren't allowed to meet ourselves in person." Eleven murmured under his nose, then added louder. "This is a delicate case, we can't be certain of anything. I wasn't, when I met Ten and Doctor. You're only re-experiencing that feeling."

"Fine, fine, fine. One last thing, " Twelve looked straight at his future self. "If by any chance, there were a moment, where you didn't agree with me, I would recommend you to move out from my way."

"What's wrong with you!?" Bill was appalled.

"Did any of you see a tattoo on Master's back?" War Doctor asked, basing on mental black clouds hovering above his female self and Twelve, change of topic was more than needed.

"What?"

"He had something deep below his neck. Maybe not a tattoo... a burn... in a palm like shape."

"... it can't be." Ten paled, understanding Doctor's suggestion.

"No, basing on what you all told me, it really can be."

"What? What's going on?" Bill was glancing between all stunned heads.

"We can only presume, but it's possible that what Doctor saw was made by the gauntlet of Rassilon." Twelve explained. "Mainly, it allows removing objects and individuals from history, but it may also be used as a simple weapon to leave a scar... Master could get it after that Christmas."

"And if it evidently is it, Rassilon had to do it personally." Eleven deduced and didn't add aloud how much pain was connected with receiving such 'gift' or how many years had to pass to stop the scar hurting. With an unpleasant feeling in his stomach, Doctor doubted that Master was even provided with painkillers.

"So, he has something on his back, is this that important?" Bill asked again.

"Not much... but it's a special mark. Nothing can remove it. Even if he got a new body, it would still be there."

"Master has never been an angel, but making Rassilon regenerate, the founder of our civilisation, had to be a one step too far." Thirteen pointed.

"He was branded." Ten concluded with grim expression. "That's why it was done."

Potts could hardly sympathize with Ex-Prime Minister, especially after her transformation, but somehow even such thing made her feel sick.

"That's why I invited you here, Bill." the youngest Doctor explained. "I haven't seen the mark fully and just for a second, but you spent years with Master. Presuming that he didn't have it before."

"I'm sure he didn't have it on Valiant." Ten stated, then glanced at Eleven.

"No, he didn't have it later as well, and you guys?"

"My version has always wore shirts and so on. I can't really say. " Thirteen described Spymaster.

"Twelve, you spent a lot of time with Missy." Bow Tie Doctor looked at his older version. "What do you think?"

"Ummm... is it even a good question?" the time lord blushed. "Thirteen, you answer!"

"Translation: No, I wasn't spying on Missy, when she was in bathroom or when she was changing clothes." Potts clarified with a wink. "Yes, he is a gentleman or he has never thought that he could do this."

"Bill...you... on which side are you on?" Twelve was almost speechless. "What is the meaning of such questions anyway?"

"I didn't like the way how they... Masters... spoke." Doctor elaborated. "The style seemed strange..."

"Is it because of their evil accent?" Eleven asked. "Which you hear whenever they finish each sentence, with masked devilish laugh, which appears deep beneath your subconscious?"

Silence.

"What? Can't you all hear it? Truly!?"

"Maybe like that - which one of them is the youngest?" Doctor continued his investigation.

"My Master, of course." Ten replied.

"And the oldest?"

"Mine." Thirteen said. ("Ugh... it sounds so strange.")

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. However, Twelve has to agree with me on that."

"Huh, why are mentioning me?" Big Eyebrows Doctor was confused.

"You met him first... sort of..."

"I don't thinks so, I don't remember him."

"Seriously!? How can you... Ugh, never mind." the time lady calmed down and looked at her youngest regeneration. "Why are you asking about this?"

"I noticed a valid thing from your conversations and my observations - They are careful in what they say. Too careful, considering everything. Thirteen, answer again, are you certain that Spymaster is the oldest?"

She blinked. Her mind moved back to days spent with him (or his alter ego 'O'). All mails, sporadic calls, texts exchanged between them both and recent meetings. Yes, something wasn't adding up. Why hadn't she realised it sooner?

"No...I'm not." Thirteen gathered her courage to exchange a glance with all past regenerations. Silently affirming that Master's age, seemingly unimportant, could be a good clue in solving her own mystery.

"Thank you. Bill, what's your opinion?"

"I'm sorry, I can't confirm anything as well. He was always wearing a sweater or something else. Additionally, he had long hair." The girl apologised, then also paused and considered her next sentence. "But... more than once, I noticed that he was nervously scratching his neck. Looking back now, it's quite possible that he was checking if the mark was fully covered."

"You're amazing." Doctor smiled. "I can't wait to really meet you in person."

"Of course, she is!" Twelve echoed with the same attitude, which would make her blush, if she had human body. "You have no idea, what and whom she brought to his knees."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe that we all agree to check if the burn exists, then we may be able to find out if Master didn't hide another vital information from us."

"Is it all what you need to determine for now?" Potts asked.

"That and a few other things, I presume. Why?"

"Because, when you finish, I'd like to borrow him for a small talk." she pointed at Twelve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I presume that you see where I am going with it. And next chapter will be about jealousy ;)


	10. Of Jealousy - Part I

"Why are you like that?" Bill asked Twelfth Doctor, when they were left alone in the forest.

"What do you mean?"

"You are constantly frustrated or agitated (more than usual, anyway...). I've stopped counting how many times you shouted at Ten, Eleven or your nice looking future self... ("She isn't nice!")... it's like you were replaced by someone else. What could have caused this?"

Many emotion appeared on Doctor's face and the silence prolonged for a good while, but when the girl thought that her companion would leave her without answer, he spoke at last.

"...everting..." he sagged down on the ground. "A time lord has a long lifespan, it's a gift, but also a curse. You may see so many wonderful things in the universe, but also experience as you friends, one by one, die from the old age. We survive by regenerating into a new body, it has all of our experiences, but it always differ from the past one. It... scares me. I thought that I have come to terms with my past, but it has got me again and I've never thought that explaining all will be so difficult. Moreover, my future came too soon. Everything has became so messy and I'm tired."

"I'm sorry," she replied and sat next to him. "I can't solve it, but whatever will happen, I will be there for you."

"Thank you, Bill." he took her metallic palm in his. "But it should be me supporting you, not the other way around."

"We are friends and we help each other. Aren't it supposed to be like that?"

"I put you in this." Doctor said, while looking at her cyber-body, which somehow only he, Missy, Master and Nardole could see. "If not for me, we all would probably sitting in Tardis, eating chips and watching TV... well, Missy doesn't like them, she would choose biscuits..."

"You will find a way, you always do." Potts reassured him. "Didn't you tell me that you have a couple of extra hands to use now? Right?"

"Ugh... defected hands... Thirteen is too mysterious. Doctor knows nothing. Eleven is childish. And Ten ... he should behave accordingly to the situation."

"Why do think like that? OK, I admit that all your relatives ("regenerations." Doctor clarified.) are distinguish at first glance, but during those days I couldn't have lost a feeling that each of them have a part of you. I'm glad that there are five of you running nearby and I can honestly say that no matter in which form you end, I'd join you without hesitation. And Nardole too."

He was speechless momentary and for a second he thought that the Sun (or fake Suns) was shining brighter than before.

"Your future body has lovely hair. And Ten made a washing machine." the girl added cheerfully, noticing that her Doctor was coming back at last. "Quite useful, when you're stranded on a colony ship, full of children, who like to play."

"That's exactly the point." the time lord threw his hands up. "I could have done that. What's more, Ten plays in a flower deliver. We don't have time for such things!"

"Cooome on. Basing on what I've heard, he only wanted to ease the situation."

"He gave Missy his place at breakfasts table, when all were occupied!"

"Um... Doctor, I was there." Bill started realising that somehow the conversation went in a strange direction. "He was finishing his meal, that's why he volunteered."

"This isn't the end!" he continued, causing a few birds to fly away with a squeak. "In the morning, I saw how he helped her to take wooded boxes from the barn. It doesn't matter that they were put in a high place and there wasn't any ladder and Ten is tall, thus he could reach boxes easily. I'm tall too!" he sank down again. "Few more days and he would be picking Missy's umbrella up, when it would accidentally drop down. "

"...would it be really inappropriate?"

"Of course, it would!"

"Wait a minute, are you... Oh, my! How haven't I noticed it in the first place! So, it isn't just because of your sudden family gathering.

"Huh?"

"Are you jealous?"

ooo

"Yes, I am."

"What? Sorry, Master. I was focused on implementing second generator to the drone." Ten raised his head from his work and glanced at his colleague. "Can you repeat?"

"I said 'yes, I am', as I'm tired of waiting." The other time lord said from his chair in front of Doctor. "Missy told us that she would be back in fifteen minutes, but it has already passed an hour. No Missy. No equipment, which she promised to bring."

Doctor looked at the clock, which hanged on the wall. Thankfully, Hazran allowed them to use one of rooms on the ground floor to make drones. (It was even close to kitchen, so they could quickly grab some snacks, if needed). Presently, almost the whole floor was covered by whatever could help them in making machines, including the table with the construct.

However Master indeed was right. In any other situation, Doctor should have been worried, but Missy was a capable time lady. If she had been in danger, she would have already managed to rescue herself and make tea. How could he have lost the track of time? Maybe because since their meeting in the forest, Ten couldn't stop himself in glancing at Master's back? But it made him feel only worse, thus paying more attention on building the drone seemed as the best solution.

"You're unusually quiet." Master loomed over Doctor, who didn't realise that he came so close.

" _Oops_." Ten thought, basing on Ex-Prime Minister's body language, he was in his conspirator mode.

"I should be overjoyed to be at least spared of your babbling. However, I couldn't notice that it started just after your D-team gathering (Yes, of course, I know about it. I'm Master.). Humour me, have your 'mates' at last decided that it's better to kill me and my other two regenerations, chop our bodies into pieces and bury them in some abandoned place?"

"What!?"

"Well, I shouldn't be surprised, better to kill people, who know the answer to the great mystery. Oh, the ignorance can be a bliss."

"Don't even joke like that... What mystery?"

"The Mystery, with big M." he explained with a wink.

"Yeah, just tease me for fun. Aren't you get bored in playing the same game over and over again?"

"Everyone has a hobby." he replied, while sitting down again.

The conversation should have ended. Unfortunately with Master, it could never be like that.

"... why are you suggesting that it would be better to not know?"

"Because it WOULD be better. Trust me, Doctor, when I say that even you would prefer the oblivion."

"I've never been afraid of the truth."

"Have you?"

"...these few times don't count..."

"Well, this time, as a particular small Jedi Master said: you will be."

Doctor opened his mouth to reject the idea or ask another question, but he stopped when both time lords heard a scream of pain coming from the front of house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, according to wiki, Tennant is taller than Capaldi, by only 2 centimetres. Tennant is 1,85 m, Capaldi - 1.83 m and Gomez - 1.63 m.


	11. Of Jealousy - Part II

"Nothing to worry about, it's just a time lord, whining without a reason." Missy explained to the gathered settlers, who surrounded her and Twelve. "Really, all's fine. You can return to your work."

However even with her reassurement, the group was getting bigger and bigger with each second. It seemed as if all adults and children came out to see who was lying several meters from their house, and when one of kid almost pushed Missy at Twelve, the time lady started seriously considering if she should use her umbrella to scare them off.

"Ugh... my back..." Doctor moaned from the ground.

"Oh, don't be a baby. You had worse."

"What have happened?" Ten's voice was heard among the crowd, as well as Master's 'out of the way or you would regret it!'. Thankfully, they both soon managed to squeeze between people and join other two time lords at the small clearing.

"I believe that his disc changed place." she pointed at Twelve. "There have defenitelly been a crack."

Ten crouched next to his older version, who groaned again.

"You might be right." younger Doctor replied after a brief examination. "Let's move him to more comfortable place at first."

"We have a stretcher back in the attic. I may bring it and help you in carrying him back to the house." Rexhill, a tall and dark skinned settler, volunteered.

"Yes, that's great." Ten thanked him.

After that inhabitants of deck 507, seeing that all was under control and the accident wasn't caused by any cyberman, quickly departed, leaving four time lords alone.

"So, was it him, who delayed you?" Master asked his female self.

"Yep. I don't know why, but he was quite insisting on aiding me in taking this box back to you." Missy explained, while Ten took off his jacket and used it as a pillow for suffering Twelve. "What could I say? I allowed him. However, it was tooo much for him." Then, she lowered her voice, so only her male version could hear her. "But, I did enjoyed watching him squirm."

Master chuckled in delight.

"What's in there anyway?" Ten stood and took a few steps to open the mentioned wooded box.

"A few accumulators, which we took from the destroyed shuttle."

"They aren't heavy!" Twelve shouted from the ground. "I can do it! Look...ugh... just put me in the standing position."

"Don't even try to move," Missy advised. "Your poor good intentions only made the matter worse."

"Well, they may weight a lot." Ten stated inspecting the equipment inside. "It would be better if I took them to the house."

"No, it's a trap!" Older Doctor panicked.

"Don't worry, I can handle it." He smiled reassuringly, while picking it up without any problem and making Twelve gape in disbelief. "Missy, Master, can someone of you help Rexhill, when he returns back?"

"Don't count on me." Missy shook her head. "Nursing isn't my favourite game. I prefer carrying five accumulators, than one retarded time lord, who thinks that oh so delicate me can't manage a simple luggage."

"...I...didn't mean..." Twelve tried to apologize, but he was made speechless again, when Missy yanked the box out from Ten's grasp with the same ease. "...how?"

"Allow me to support you, sis, and I don't mean any disrespect."

"Such gentleman." she gave Master the equipment, who caught it with one hand and didn't fall down as well.

"We will continue with our job inside,' the Ex-Prime Minister said. "meanwhile take care of that whining thing."

Ten wasn't so sure, but then glanced at Eleven standing near the door, who as if understanding him without words, nodded and entered their temporary home.

"Ugh, fine." he replied, but soon he noticed that both Masters didn't even intend to wait for his answer and were just ascending steps to the porch. Ten sighed disappointed, was it so stupid of him that he hoped for a much different reaction from their side?

"Do you plan to stand there for the whole day?" An annoying voice from the ground woke up younger Doctor from his musings.

But still... they did seemed to glance at Twelve with distaste after hearing his tone, then at Ten with pure pity for a second.

"Come here!" his future regeneration insisted.

How was it that all Masters were able to get along, when Doctor had problems with his regenerations each time? (And he had been doing it more often than a normal time lord in the whole history of their civilisation!) Resigned, Ten leaned closer to his older version.

"Yes, what is it...YYY... Let go of my tie! You're choking me!"

"This box weights a tone! How can you hold it, as if it was made from feathers?"

"Anti-gravitators." Ten presented a metallic band on his right wrist, which somehow hid itself under the shirt's cuff. "They partly disturb the gravity field, thus allowing to transport some heavy items."

"Huh?"

"Master made a few pairs. (I, of course, made one for myself.) Don't you have one?"

"No...ugh... my back." he freed Ten, who breathed with relief. "...where is this stretcher?"

ooo

"It's official." Missy declared. "He is jealous."

"You're joking, right?" Spymaster wasn't convinced.

"Speak quieter! They might find us." Master whispered and forced both his regenerations to hide behind a couple of huge barrels.

The barn, in which they presently were, was empty at this time of the day, but it was better to be cautious. Even if all people were advised to keep close to their current residence, Ex-Prime Minister could still see through a window that a few locals were walking nearby. Moreover, they also managed to lost their 'Doctor tail', but none of Masters was sure how long it would last.

"You heard our story." the youngest time lord continued from his crouched position. "I also had some doubts before, but sis is correct."

"Really?"

"What else proof do you need!?" Missy exploded.

"Shush, sis!"

"Shush yourself!"

"Actually," Spymaster pointed at time lady's head. "I'm more curious about flowers, which you have in your hair."

"We needed a distraction." Master explained.

ooo

"It wasn't me!" Eleven shouted, while running away from Hazran's broom.

ooo

"I look dashing, don't I?" Missy asked with a charming smile.

"Are you both aware how it sounds?" Spymaster ignored her. "You are suggesting that Doctor fights with himself over me ... It would be funny, if it wasn't disturbing in the same time."

"Imagine, if they duelled with each other and then one of them would die." Suddenly, the time lady felt pleasantly light-headed.

"Is it even possible?" Master questioned.

"It would be hilarious!"

"(Shush!) A new kind of suicide? Obviously, yes." Spymaster massaged his temple with a frustrated gesture. "But, you are both wrong. Twelve is more envious of Missy's attitude for Master, than for Ten."

"No, he isn't." Ex-Prime Minister stated. "It must be still the shock of meeting me and sis on the same ship."

"I disagree. I see how he watches you, especially when you 'mingle'."

They both looked at Spymaster, then at each other, then back to their other self.

"Challenging Twelve over my own heart might be difficult." Master told Missy. "But if you wish so, I can do it."

"No way!" the time lady shook her head, making white flowers to fall out of her head.

"If you don't believe me, I may recommend observing him more intently from no on." Spymaster sighed. "Are there any other cases, about which we should talk about? Kneeling in the dirt behind barrels isn't good for my legs."

"Ten doesn't know about Timeless Child," Master informed his reincarnations. "In my opinion none of younger Doctors is aware of that."

"You told him?! Are you nuts?!" Spymaster was furious.

"Why the hell have you done that?" Missy had also been taken aback.

"Relax, I might have slipped something, but not the whole truth. Anyway, you should thank me, bro."

"Does twisting your neck count as that? Because, I really feel a strong need to do it."

"Come on, we've got a new information and don't you agree that it would let you rest for a while from Thirteen's unwelcome attentions?" Master continued. "Ten must have already informed his mates, but lady Doctor would pretend that knows nothing. In the worst case scenario, they will ignore it. In the best - they may even send someone to spy on HER. (Personally, I wouldn't mind, if they asked me)."

"Or we may make a bigger mess than now." Missy commented.

"Oi! On which side are you on?"

"On the rational one."

"Exactly, Master. It's a risky assumption." Spymaster said, but he could see the logic in reasoning of his past self. There were only three Masters against five Doctors (or four, as Twelve was temporary indisposed) and their companions. Additionally, settlers weren't very found of them as well.

He hated this ship. His evil plan was perfect! The Moment shouldn't stick its nose to things, which certainly didn't concern it.

"Leave Thirteen to me." he said at last, choking the growing storm inside.

"Jealous, bro?"

"Don't start. We know our future and have our roles, we are going with it."

"You should tell her." Missy told Spymaster.

"No."

"Thirteen is too afraid of breaking rules of time. She might be gloomy for the rest of her life, but she won't reveal anything to her past reincarnations. Plus, it would stop weighting you down."

"I'm going out." he got up, but before the time lord managed to reach the door, Master already blocked his way.

"Listen, we only try to advise you the best course of action."

"We clearly don't want to force you." Missy added, then Ex-Prime Minister had to snatch a knife out of her hand.

"Have I mentioned that I'm worried about my future?"

"Have I mentioned that I'm waiting for the sign from heavens, because it's getting grotesque?" Spymaster asked no one in particular.

None of time lords believed in God/Gods. Masters quickly realised that higher beings didn't exist. There was always some existence or organism in the background, pretending to be the One All Mighty. A lesson, which evil time lords mastered to the perfection. (Oh, people could do such foolish things, just to please them.)

However, in that particular moment, the God had to listen, because suddenly the barn's roof broke in half and Thirteen fell down straight into Spymaster's arms.

"I think that I'm jealous right now." Master said.


	12. Of Rains - Part I

"Missy, are you alone?"

"Yes, Master. Help me get up before someone notices me. I've never thought that to have a moment of simple peace, I would need to climb on the roof of this awful residence." she said, when younger time lord hauled her to sit next to himself and closed the patch quietly.

"I've thought that Spymaster would come with you."

"He won't be able to join. Accumulators in drones are switching on and off, he and Eleven are trying to repair it."

"Well, at least we have a nice view with an artificial sunset to admire just to ourselves." Master pointed at the vast forest in front of them. "We may manage to sneak out tomorrow."

"Whatever." Missy commented, while inspecting her dress. It was her favourite (Also, the only adequate costume in the whole bloody ship.) and she wouldn't like to have it been destroyed.

"Why so gloomy, sis?"

"Convince me that there is a reason to not be upset." Yep, there was a hole. Hopefully, settlers could sew, or maybe Ten would volunteer? A second later, she imagined how it would end and Missy pretended that such idea had never appeared in her head.

"I'll find you a new one. A dress worth a queen." Master noticed her problem and with his permanent confidence, the time lord actually managed to cheered her up a bit.

"My hero." She freed a piece of her costume and awarded him with her smile. "But can you guess what really bothers me?"

"Are you worried that Spymaster is plotting something with Thirteen?" Master half joked, remembering how lady Doctor literally fell from the sky. They all were shocked, but Missy quickly showed her very murderous intentions. As the result, Spymaster insisted on leaving him with Thirteen and Master was forced to move Missy outside the barn. (His feet still hurt in place, where she stepped on him.) He sobered, when his question didn't ease the situation. "Don't be ridiculous. You know what they say: you can trust only yourself."

"Our Spy regeneration has been avoiding us since this 'incident'. Have you noticed how he looked when he came out? I don't like it. (Your pleasantries won't make me forget you dragging me out!)"

"He could have told her the truth, as you advised him. (I've told I will get you a new dress... and as it's probably not enough, I will make it up to you in some other way as well.)"

"Then why haven't he admitted it? I'm beautiful and clever, repeating it never gets boring, even from myself. (Fine, but pray that after, I wouldn't still feel this desire to break a few bones.)" Missy checked if her hair was intact. After the climbing and as all flowers were gone, she still had to look presentable. "What could have they been doing there?"

"I know what I would be doing in his place, if I was there." he dreamy glanced at orange clouds. "Alone, with her."

"You would certainly behave properly, right?" Missy glared at her younger self.

"Describe 'properly' for me."

"Ugh, I will pretend to not hear it." she massaged her temple, while remembering that Ex-Prime Minister persona was rather smitten with all nice looking females. It's strange that her other reincarnations didn't have this character trait.

"Oi! You allowed Ten to dance around you, sis."

"I did not. Besides, it's you who thinks with your pants, than with the head."

"I don't like wasting good occasions."

"Shush!" Missy silenced Master, as she heard noises coming from the attic.

Younger time lord grimaced and started wondering if they both would be able to run by jumping from the roof, but thankfully after two minutes unwelcome occupant seemed to vanish.

"Let's agree to never ever mention this topic." Master said, when it was safe.

"Especially, in front of Spymaster (when he will be in speaking terms with us again). He's rather touchy regarding that." the time lady agreed.

"Yep. Did he and Thirteen...?" Missy's glare stopped him in the middle of question and he could only sign in the response. Yes, some things should stay unsaid and some should be asked aloud. "Do you think that we will get out of here?"

"YOU will get out of here."

"Missy, you know what I mean."

The wind suddenly got stronger, forcing Master to hold his collar closer to his skin.

"It's getting cold." she replied after long silent minutes and snuggled closer to him.

It helped a bit, however it still didn't provide the solution. What's worse, to underline his bad mood, it started raining.

"Admit it, umbrellas are useful." Missy said, while opening it above them both.

"No, it's wrong..."

"Excuse me!? Fine, wet yourself, if you want to."

"YYY! No, it's not that." He scooped closer to Missy again. "It shouldn't rain. At solar farms, the weather adjusts so crops would grow properly, but they are fine. Moreover, it didn't rain during the first cycle!"

"Damn it."

"Exactly. Something is wrong."

ooo

"I don't get it." Nardole said. "Why are you playing in this stalking game? Why can't we just grab Missy or Spymaster, then just check if they have the burn? With all Doctors, there are seven of us!"

"Remind yourself, what happened last time, when you unintentionally patted Missy on her back." Twelve answered from his bed.

His mood didn't get better, as he was still forced to stay in one of shared bedrooms and his only entertainment were occasional visits from Bill, Nardole and some of his regenerations. (Currently, only Doctor and Thirteen were present.)

"Oh, right." Somehow Nardole's old wound started hurting again.

"Or he's afraid that it would look improper." Bill added.

"I don't know what you mean." Twelve turned away clearly embarrassed.

"I'm starting to wonder, if we are focusing our attention in good direction." Youngest Doctor suddenly said.

"Why so?" Twelve asked.

"Our main goal is to save Gallifrey, settlers and return to our respectable timelines, however instead we try to solve 'the burn mystery'. Almost three days passed and we haven't made any progress."

"Well, it isn't my fault."

("It is, a bit." Bill whispered to Nardole. "Because someone wanted to impress a particular time lady.")

"I'm open for suggestions." Twelve stated, then glared at silent Thirteen, sitting on a chair next to the window. "Especially from my future self. Oi! Can you hear me? Stop mopping and answer!"

"Huh?" The time lady woke up, only after a gentle nudge from Doctor. "Yes? What's going on?"

She glanced at three pairs of concerned eyes and one pair - filled with anger, which suddenly changed into astonishment. Thirteen hadn't been quite herself since her conversation with Spymaster, but she tried to mask it as best as she could. In which, she really was falling miserably.

"What's that?" Twelve pointed at her.

"Do I have something on my face? Is it a rush? I don't recall eating anything, which would case it."

"No!" He directed his eyes at window behind Thirteen. "That! It's raining!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you wonder what have happened between Thirteen and Spymaster, then you have to wait for new chapters ;)


	13. Of Rains - Part II

With the rain came also new problems. Sensors, which were put a mile around the house, picked up an increased gathering of Cyber-Scarecrows. There was a moment of panic, but soon settlers and time lords organized themselves into small groups, who would go out to stop incoming creatures.

ooo

The danger was very close, too close for Tenth Doctor's taste, but he needed to stand his ground. He recalled as Hazran told him that Cyber-Scarecrows may look defenceless, but in reality - they were very stubborn and when they caught an innocent passer-by, they would drag the prey deep into the dark forest to never hear back again.

There were only few more steps between Doctor and scarecrows, his instinct told him to run, but the time lord forced his legs to not move. Then miraculously, the earth below his enemies vanished, making creatures to fall deep down.

"Primitive, but useful." Master commented the trap set by inhabitants of deck 507th, as he put Hazran's map with such 'surprises' back into his jacket. "The more they will try to climb up, the more ground will fall on them. They will literally bury themselves."

Indeed, no one would easily get out of such pit. Settlers had to spend days on digging it, but it paid off. They were safe for a moment and Doctor allowed himself to look around the green meadow, on which they were presently standing. The land was empty, Twelve reported to him through the communicator that he also didn't see anything dangerous, it seemed as if both time lords could return back to their temporary home.

"Let's check the west part again." Doctor decided at last and pulled the hood closer to his face. Ten was grateful for n-th time that Hazran gave them waterproof coats. If not, his suit would have been soaked wet as soon as he had left the house.

"Do we have to?" Master whined.

"Most of scarecrows were coming from there." Doctor explained. "I just want to be certain that we didn't miss anything. Come, it won't take long."

"I'm hungry."

"Here." Ten stopped in his tracks and took a small bag from his coat.

"What's that?"

"Cookies."

Master inspected the content with his characteristics reservation, but he picked one in the end. It was clear that his humour lifted up for a moment and Doctor struggled to not smile.

"From where do you have them?" Ex-Prime Minister asked.

"Hazran gave it to me, as a thanks with repairing the barn, after Thirteen's accident there."

"Oh, yes. Your lady self had to be glad for having a pretext to leave the house." Master started walking again. "That settler woman can be cross. (Eleven still avoids her and doesn't mention flowers.) She had to be furious after hearing what had happened with the roof."

Truth to be told, Thirteen seemed indifferent of Hazran's reaction, which surprised all Doctors. They all soon realised that there appeared another mystery to solve, however Master didn't need to informed about it.

"Listen," Ten started, when he joined Ex-Prime Minister. "I know that you would prefer being somewhere else. Yeez, even I'm starting changing my mind about deserts and I'm dreaming about a huge cup of hot chocolate."

"A discovery of the century." Master sneered and ate another cookie.

"And presumingly, you would want my blond self to accompany you..." Ten continued and wondered why it was bothering him.

"No, not really."

"Huh?"

Doctor had to experience a short memory loss, because somehow the other time lord was a good five meters away and he had ran up to reach him, just to block his way.

"Who are you and what have you done with Master?" he asked, while standing in front of him.

"What?"

"You follow Thirteen with your eyes, whenever she pass by."

"Female Doctor might be average, but she is a far cry from an ugly witch." he shrugged, as if it was a normal thing. "Personally, I think that Missy looks better than her."

"Yeah, her too! (I have never done that with my regenerations, haven't I?)"

"This me can't resist a beautiful woman, but it doesn't mean that I'll stupidly running after them."

"Well, in this I must agree." he sighed. "But seriously, why not Thirteen?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Huh?"

"When Thirteen looks at me, she actually doesn't see me. I'm only a piece from her past. Twelve is a little better, but he can't get a hold of himself whenever Missy is nearby." his face changed into something representing a longing. "As soon as we leave the colony ship, I will be forgotten."

"It's difficult to forget you." Doctor said, hoping to cheer the situation up.

"Don't try to flatter me with your obligatory kindness." Master suddenly spat with such venom that Ten was forced to move back. "It makes matters only worse."

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to disrespect you." he raised his palms up to calm the fellow time lord and ignored the rain, which was getting heavier with each minute. "Some memories are stronger than others, that's the fact. But they don't disappear. You know me. I never truly forget people, whom I've met."

"No, I don't know you!"

ooo

"How does feel my favourite patient?" Missy asked a bored Twelve, who hadn't healed fully yet and was forced to stay in bed.

"Overjoyed." he replied frustrated and buried himself even more deeper beneath the blanket. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm on a peaceful mission of bringing you the not poisoned soup." the time lady indicated a tray with the meal in her hands, which she put on a chair next to him.

"You could have placed it closer." Doctor said, as the furniture stood in that particular distance that he would have to spend next fifteen minutes in trying to reach the spoon. Especially, in his half-paralyzed condition.

"And avoid fun in watching you struggle to get it? No way." Missy chuckled. "But really, how are you feeling?"

"Better. I cat sit up without squirming. Look... YYY... Ugh, no, maybe not."

"Remember, the fault is still yours."

"Yes, yes. I get it." Doctor rolled his eyes, then sobered and glanced at Missy with a more serious expression. "I believe that's the first time, when I have the chance to ask you that question."

"Which is?" the time lady clearly sensed the change in his mood, as her voice lost the cheerful tone.

"Why are you like this?"

"Gorgeous, clever, extremely ambitious... Be more specific, my dear."

"You know what I mean."

Since the beginning of their adventures with five Doctors and three Masters, Missy had been so reserved around him and he couldn't stand it. Truth to be told, he longed for his noisy friend to come back.

"Let see... because you forced me to watch Disney ("You proposed it by yourself." Twelve pointed. "I couldn't sleep for days after Bambi.") or because you didn't give me a Venusian pony from 23th century ("They are carnivorous and dangerous.") or because I realised whom you actually are not."

"Huh?"

"Like - not worth of my time." She tuned back and approached the door.

"Then why have you come here?" Twelve shouted with anger, which actually masked something much more virtuous.

"I was curios how you were doing, that's all."

"Is it only this?" Hope took a peek.

"Well, others were busy, except of Eleven, but he immediately ran out from the room and I didn't want to play in a rainy version of hide and seek, so I chose to be a food-deliver. (Ugh, when have I fallen so low?) Bye!"

"No, wait...ugh..." Ignoring the pain, Doctor gathered all his strength to get up and reach for her hand. It seemed to work, as both his legs managed to keep him in standing position, problems appeared when one of them took first step forward.

"Be careful, you idiot." Missy caught the man before he fell down and sat him on the bed. "Or you will be paralyzed for another days."

Twelve's spine hurt as never before, but he did it - her palm was in his and when she glanced at their joined hands, Doctor knew that the time lady didn't want to free it.

"Whatever you were told," Twelve started. "Whatever awful thing, you heard about me... you know that I would never leave you or betray you, right? You can trust me."

"No, I can't." Missy spoke as if a spell over her was slowly cracking.

ooo

Master regretted his outburst almost immediately, but Doctor's compassionate attitude and his attempts to make him feel important weren't good for his nerves. Especially, as they were starting to work. It had to be stopped, even if Ex-Prime Minister revealed something about the timeless child by accident.

"What are you saying?" Ten asked confused.

"You don't even know yourself, thus I can't know you."

ooo

"You aren't the person, I recognize." Missy stated. "Why the hell should I trust you?"

ooo

Ten intended to scold the time lord, as what he said was illogical, but one closer look at Master's cold expression instantly make him stop.

"You're serious." Doctor replied astonished.

ooo

"You don't believe me?" the time lady wasn't impressed. "Let's do in the other way. Shall we? Answer me, who you are?"

"I'm..."

"The Doctor? WRONG!"

ooo

"I might be a monster," Master said, while trying to convince himself that Doctor's warm and in the same time sad brown eyes weren't affecting him. "but believe me, you're worse. As everything is because of you."

ooo

"You think that you are him, or her, whatever." Missy snorted. "but truly - you aren't aware of whom you are. And I won't allow a stranger to rule my life."

ooo

Master took a deep breath, suddenly realising that he was really getting sloppy with emotional life and also in what was going around him. "And now - move out of the way."

There was confusion, understanding and soon Doctor was jumping to the right, as the other time lord shoot Cyber-Scarecrow, who was sneaking dangerously close to Ten.

"A monster wouldn't have saved me." Doctor stated, while glancing between the dead creature and his friend. "Particularly, not a person, who is so hated."

ooo

If somebody had a crazy idea to make a painting with goddesses of chaos, Missy would be a perfect model. Twelve hadn't remembered, when he saw her so furious. She wasn't the only one, her accusations upset him as well and Doctor had every right to object, but instead - he studied her face, because even if the time lady was insisting on not knowing him, he couldn't say the same about her. Twelve inspected layer after layer of dark emotions, until he found that for what he was looking from the beginning.

"You want to know that stranger again." Twelve said softly, which made Missy to stand up and back away as if bitten.

" _You lost your friend._ " he thought. " _That's why you've been so cold for all that time._ "

ooo

"I've just made sure to not disturb the timeline even more." Master explained, but somehow it sounded too hollow, thus he turned around and started quickly walking away. "Try to keep up, Doctor. If another Cyber-Scarecrow attacked you, I may not be there to rescue you."

"This Mystery with big M," Ten said to the time lord's withdrawing form. "is it really so horrible?"

"Boring!" Master commented, not stopping for a second. "Try asking about something different, like about the position of my personal slave. Just for your information, it's still open."

"Why don't you want to tell me about it?"

ooo

"Thirteen is hiding something from us." Twelve spoke. "The mystery, of which I believe you are aware. I came to understand that it could have also caused us to be here. Won't you tell me what it is?"

Missy raised her head, opened her mouth, but nothing came out. It seemed as if she was reconsidering with herself what she should do. When the time lady decided at last, she only said:

"It isn't my story to tell."

ooo

"It isn't my story to tell." Master's tone indicated the end of subject.

"...then I have other question." Ten pressured.

"I hope that it's more interesting than the last one."

"Do you know what will happen to you?"

"I get out of the ship, of course."

"I've meant all of your selves."

"We continue to have fun." Ex-Prime Minister glanced at his companion, who was keeping a two steps safe distance behind him. "As an annoying smart person, you really choose stupid topics."

"Tell me what will happen to Missy?"

This made Master stop. Thankfully, Doctor didn't move himself in front of him, because he presently couldn't trust his own expression.

"Why should I do it?"

"You may convince yourself as much as you like, but she isn't just a random regeneration, whom you met by accident." Doctor said. "She is also nice to me... Ugh, not bad choice of words, she would vaporize me if she heard it... well, I enjoy her company and she is important to you."

"Stars, as if you would care for any of us..." he sneered, while still not turning around.

"I DO care."

"For cold-blooded murderers? Have you thought about finding a shrink?"

"Yes, you kill, destroy, wreck havoc, transformed Bill into a cyberman... but our relationship have never been simple and... I don't know whom I would be without you..." Two evil hearts beat for a second. "And who said that you couldn't help me making Bill a human again?"

Ex-Prime Minister shook his head in exasperation. His fellow time lord just couldn't resist being optimistic in every aspect of life.

"Master, I'm worried about you."

" _I don't want to loose you again._ " Ten kept his thoughts to himself.

"I'll be fine, Doctor."

"That's good." he seemed relieved. "I won't pressure you more, but please tell me... will Missy be all right, too?"


	14. Of Rains - Part III

"Are you sure that we're in the right place?" Eleven asked, when he and Spymaster entered the attic.

"Yes, I am. The signal is coming from here." he replied, while glancing at his provisional radar. "Stop fussing and start looking."

Thankfully, the search didn't take long and soon Doctor was holding a small metallic box, which surely wasn't built by any of settlers.

"You were correct." Eleven stated, while checking the thing with his screwdriver.

"Of course, I was. Such sudden change of weather had to be caused by something. Is it safe to switch it off?"

"Yes. Done it. Strange, it interacts with water." Doctor continued. "I'd say that it 'pulls' water to itself, but I don't know for what. Except of creating rain and forcing all of us to sit at home and being bored and..."

"And having Cyber-Scarecrows to pay more attentions to us." Spymaster finished. "However, we should be safe now. Well, as safe as possible with our abnormal circumstances. Let's focus on finding out, who planted it here."

"Oh, that's simple. My screwdriver says that... it's me? Wait a minute, that's impossible! I didn't do it!"

"Calm down! (How in all hells haven't you died from a panic attack is beyond my comprehension.)" Spymaster took the box from Eleven's hand and inspected the machine by himself. "If it wasn't you, than it'd be one of other Doctors. We'll just require more time to analyse the readding."

ooo

"Thirteen is hiding something from us." Twelve spoke to Missy. "The mystery, of which I believe you are aware. I came to understand that it could have also caused us to be here. Won't you tell me what it is?"

The time lady raised her head, opened her mouth, but nothing came out. It seemed as if she was reconsidering with herself what she should do. When the time lady decided at last, she only stated:

"It isn't my story to tell."

Whatever Twelve wanted to say never came out, as suddenly Spymaster marched into the bedroom with Eleven close by.

"No, it isn't him." he said while pointing his screwdriver at him and checking the results. "That leaves only Thirteen or youngest Doctor."

"What's going on?" Missy asked.

"The rain was caused by this machine," Eleven explained, while showing the small device in his hand. "It was hidden in the attic and it seems... that it was planted by one of my regenerations."

"Wha...ugh?!" Twelve sat up a little, which wasn't a good move.

"I presume that tying you to the bed would be a quite good solution. You certainly will heal faster." Missy recommended and turned to Eleven again. "Why do you think that it's one of Doctors?"

"There wasn't any DNA, but we discovered a small mental imprint. By comparing it to mine, Twelve and so on, we can quickly check, to whom it belongs."

"This tool doesn't have a time setup," Spymaster added. "thus the person had to be near it to switch it on. Fortunately, we managed in finding out when it was activated."

"Interesting." Missy mused. "So when exactly was it planted there?"

Doctor told her.

"Funny, I and Master heard some noises in the attic around that hour." Missy said. "It had been just before it started raining."

"...how could you hear it, if..." Twelve started confused, but was stopped by the time lady almost immediately.

"We were sitting on the roof and admiring the view."

"Wha...?!"

"Oh, do shut up, before you would twist your back again."

"Ten was helping in repairing the barn." Eleven informed them, quite relieved that it wasn't him, who silenced his future self. "Rexhill, who was also there, told us that he was with him all the time, thus Ten wouldn't manage doing it from the barn. The distance was too big, even if he would run."

"So again, it's Thirteen or Doctor." Spymaster summarized.

"But both were with me then." Twelve objected. "Bill and Nardole can also confirm it..." He stopped momentary and furrowed his big eyebrows. "She left for a couple of minutes..."

"Glad to know, who is the lucky culprit." Missy took the initiative. "Let's wait, when all of our regenerations will come back and ask her why she did it. And if Lady Doctor denied all... Well, you know me, I can be very persuasive."

"As long as we will be near you during your 'interview', then it's fine." Twelve warned her.

ooo

The strange device was deactivated, but the weather would go back to normal in few hours. Spymaster didn't complain, most of settlers and remaining two Doctors preferred to stay indoors, leaving him the whole porch to sit and sulk. Unfortunately, it didn't include Missy.

"Tell her." the time lady advised him about Timeless Child mystery from her neighbouring chair and didn't add that it would lift a heavy burden from his shoulders.

"No."

"Stars!" Missy shook her head frustrated. "I've never thought that you would be stubborn like..."

"Finish that sentence and you will regret it."

"Humour me and at least tell some other Doctor." Missy ignored his outburst and mercifully didn't continue insulting him. "Let's see his reaction. I'm sure that it would be hilarious. Plus, we would have some entertainment. This rain can be really monotonous."

"No." Spymaster said and lowered his head. "Anyway, there isn't any point in that."

"How so?" she asked confused after his sudden change of tone.

"I have a strong feeling that it won't change anything." he answered resigned.

"It's the truth. It will have an impact." Missy insisted. "Listen, I don't know what happened between you two in that barn, but I'm sick of your brooding. What's going on?"

"She won't believe me and forget about everything soon after... as usual. Isn't it what come with all people, who she meets on her way?"

"Not this." Missy said, while understanding, what her regeneration really wanted. "Besides, Doctor never forgets."

"Of course, our favourite time lord (or lady) doesn't." he sneered. "Just push it at the end of consciousness and moves much happier memories to the front. Because all is better, when you believe that nothing awful exists."

For that Missy didn't have a contra reply, because it was Doctor's coping mechanism. If not for it, the time lord would have gone mad centuries ago or there would have happened something much worse.

"You must be a devil genius to get any attention," Spymaster continued sourly. "because a reliable and pure-hearted creatures are passed by or used by others."

This also was the truth. But actually, even with all those things, Missy admitted to herself, that living in a galaxy without her oldest friend was much more... sadder? She sighed mentally, it seemed that Spymaster's mood got to her as well.

"I will tell Doctor if she asks. Maybe, it's really a time to finish it." the time lord stood up suddenly. "Let's come inside. Hopefully, there will be left some tea."

"Yes." she agreed taking his outstretched hand.

No one of them noticed Eleven, hidden on the other side of house, in a place with enough proximity to two Masters, to hear their conversation. What's more, as Twelve advised, his communicator was on, so his older regeneration could eavesdrops on it as well.

As for Big eyebrows Doctor - something in Spymaster's dejected voice reminded him about young bright man (a beginner agent?), whom he met some time ago.

" _I remember now._ " Twelve thought.


	15. Of Rains - Part IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry that you had to wait so long, but I had a late vacations and then there was Halloween and I was absorbed in making vids for that time. But here it is, a new chapter!

**NOW**

" _It's strange_ ", Thirteen thought, while she and the youngest Doctor were coming back to the house.

In far away, she noticed Master and Ten, also returning back, who seemed conducting a peaceful conversation. (Well, Ex-Prime Minister wasn't glaring daggers in his direction, which was a quite improvement). Moreover, in one of windows, she glimpsed Missy and Twelve together for a moment. Thirteen risked a glance at Doctor, who somehow looked nicely surprised with the outcoming. During all last days, he had to realise that the future of his male regenerations, even with flaws and suffering, wasn't so grim as he thought in the beginning. However, the time lady knew that he still had doubts regarding her.

With all of that, Thirteen suddenly felt so out of place... It was all Spymaster fault! If he had behaved differently, all would have been much easier!

ooo

**BEFORE**

"Yeez, she was so scary." Thirteen said, while hiding behind Spymaster's back and observing as Master pushed himself and Missy out of the barn. (Yep, he was a really good shield against his female self, who desired to kill her for eavesdropping. It was a pity that Spymaster didn't see it in that way and wanted to free himself from her grip)

"You know, Doctor." Spymaster glared at her, when they were alone. "Even if lady-me is out, it doesn't mean that you're safe."

Thirteen jumped back with a squeak.

"What have you heard?"

"I told you, nothing!"

"And pray tell me what were you doing there?" the time lord pointed at the huge gap in the roof via which she fell inside.

"Ummm... OK, I was spying on you." Thirteen replied, while hiding a particular water device in her coat, which Master didn't notice. She would need to find other place to have it put and activate.

"You lie." he took one step forward and Doctor - one step back.

"I'm not the only one." Thirteen spatted.

"I just keep myself silent, unlike you."

"Because our huge secret surely doesn't exist."

"It DOES exist, Doctor!" something snapped inside him, as his shout forced her to take another two steps back. "Don't you even dare thinking otherwise!"

"Then tell me the truth."

His resolve was breaking and after a long pause, Thirteen started hoping that the mystery of Timeless Child would be revealed to her at last, however Spymaster only threw his hands up in frustration.

"It wasn't suppose to be like this!" he complained loudly. "We shouldn't even be here!"

"Yeah, I imagine that you had in mind erupting volcanos, earthquakes and meteors falling from the sky. Typical." she snorted. "But because of you, we are stuck here. I'm miles away from my Fam and I can only pray that they alive. Moreover, the time crisis is hovering over us... again."

"Because of me?!"

"It wasn't me, who played with the teleportation!"

"It was because of the Moment!"

"I wonder if you both could have had a chat behind my back."

"Idiot! You have no idea what I planned, nor - what I want."

"Oh, yeah? Surprise me, Master, what have you really thought to get?"

"More." his eyes were hollow. "Much more. The right to shape the universe as I desired. More than this wasted life, which I could never change, because the fate decided long ago that it should be like this."

"'More'? How? By destroying the galaxy? By wreaking havoc? Can't you hear yourself? If all was gone, there would be no 'more'!"

Spymaster took deep breath and reminded himself that Doctor told him that, as she didn't understand, who she really was. The fool could have never comprehended it, if not for him. Annoying, because of her unique identify, it was very possible that whatever would happen, the nuisance standing in front of Spymaster, in no matter which form, would always be there.

"There would be." the tone, in which it was said, stopped her for a moment, then before Doctor could speak up, Spymaster quickly closed the gap between them and soon she felt as his lips touched hers.

The minute passed, then two, three,... ten?

Both of them lost the track of time, but it was Master, who was the first to wake up. With the light-speed, he stood up (How did they end on the ground?), corrected his hair and put his jacket on (Why did he take it off?). Doctor glanced embarrassed at the state of her clothes. She was expecting to be mocked, but instead Spymaster, even if his costume looked as if nothing took place, his face seemed presenting shock/fear/hate/longing... all kind of emotions at once. He ran away.

The time lady had to admit that she felt the same.

ooo

**NOW**

"Yes, it was me. I put there this machine," Thirteen admitted to all Masters, Doctors, Bill and Nardole, who somehow managed to squeeze in Twelve's room.

"Now," Master unceremoniously jumped in. "Some of you surely believed that it was on of us, "Ex-Prime Minister pointed at himself and his two regenerations. "You may apologize now. Bowing in front of me and begging for forgiveness will sufficient."

"Oi! If you presume that I would...!" Twelve started to raise, but then quickly forgot about his intention. "Ugh, my back."

"Please DO tie him to the bed." Missy groaned, then turned to Thirteen. "And you, why the hell did you do it?"

"I... wanted to call Heather." The time lady answered.

"My Heather?" Bill asked confused.

"That one, who was transformed into an oil-human-ship-creature thing?" Missy questioned. "What? Our patient told me that from his own free will."

"Umm... Don't look at me like that, I'm sick." Twelve tried to hide himself under blanket.

"I hoped that her abilities could teleport some of us to Tardis, for example." Lady Doctor explained. "In my past, she took you, Bill, from this ship. I expected that my device would work, but unfortunately - it backfired."

"Why didn't you ask me for help?" Potts pressed. "If I was the link, why would you keep all of us misinformed?"

" _Because it would cause more questions._ " Thirteen thought to herself. " _More importantly - you would ask why you aren't with me._ "

"Do you want to know your future, Bill?" Lady Doctor said aloud and dropped her head even lower. "I'm sorry, but it is the only way to have you all to understand it."

The time lady vowed that she would tell them if her former companion chose it. But no begging from Masters or Doctors would convince her to do otherwise.

"Doctor, why are you doing itself for you?" Potts sighed, which was quite a nice relief for Thirteen, as she was fully prepared for much angrier outburst. "Keeping secrets from your dearest ones, what actually pains you much more than anything. You literally can't even trust yourself... But I dictate my own destiny, if it isn't crucial, I don't need to know it."

"Thank you, Bill." She turned to Spymaster. "However, there is one mystery, which was avoided long enough. Tell me what the Timeless Child is."

"I will, but not here."

The youngest Master seemed rather shocked, but one pat from Missy quickly calmed him down.

"It stopped raining. We will go outside." Spymaster continued. "It is between only us, Masters and Doctors. I don't want any of settlers nearby and especially - not any of your pets."

"Deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter - the truth at last!
> 
> as for 13 and Spymaster - is it ok? did it look convincing? We had only three episodes with them, but each time they were shouting / glaring at each other, I was like "KISS HER ALREADY!


	16. Of Truths - Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My Spymaster will be a little AU, and there is new AU version about timeless child as well.

**NOW**

Twelve felt numb. He didn't feel anything, even his backache.

Spymaster chose a secluded place in the forest. It wasn't far away, but it took ages to transport Twelve there (or rather Ten and Eleven spent a longer time in carrying him), but at last - they arrived and he was sat in a wooden chair among trees. Doctor's back didn't took it well. Thankfully, the time lord also got a pillow, which somehow eased his pain, but they still didn't make it to vanish completely.

However, after hearing Spymaster's story about the destruction of Gallifrey, the timeless child, a mysterious being, which actually originated the whole time lords dynasty and the child's identity, he felt paralyzed.

"You lie." Twelve said aloud to all Masters standing before the Doctor group. "It's impossible that such being has ever existed, especially that I'm it."

"Sorry, I planned to show you it in Matrix, but unfortunately something got in the way." Spymaster mocked. "Believe me, I really would like it to be a lie, but it isn't."

"But it doesn't make sense, my life is... why I can't remember anything?"

"I repeat - It was erased, so you could start the new cycle with a clean state." he insisted. "Focus, deep down, you must feel that something is wrong."

Twelve glanced at Thirteen, who also had a hard time adjusting to the truth (he didn't know why, but he also looked at Missy, who remained icily frozen), a similar distraught emotions could be seen on faces of Ten and Eleven, but the Doctor...

"No." the youngest of time lords said.

"What?"

"No, I don't feel anything. I'm bewildered why it should make me behave differently or it makes you so distraught."

"What are talking about!?" Thirteen shouted frustrated. "There is something, which gives me a headache whenever I want to reach it."

"No, there isn't." Doctor replied calmly and next sentence directed to Spymaster. "Do you want us to be confused? It may work on my older regenerations, but not on me. Actually, I have other question. Are you the oldest from your group? Or should we see how the burn on your back healed to check it?"

"I don't see why I should matter, when the story is about YOU." he spat the last word.

"Probably, it seems insignificant, when comparing to our origin, but it still sounds important."

Spymaster looked at Master, who shrugged, then to Missy, who just nodded and added some stereotypical comment about a woman and her age.

"To answer your question, I'm not." he replied. "She is."

"WHAT?! HOW?" Lady Doctor shouted again. "She was with Twelve, she ... Oh no, we met in the wrong order, did we?"

"Or in correct one, as some would say."

"Yes, that's true." Master reconfirmed. " In next regeneration, I'll still look dashing."

"But you also met my past self." Thirteen continued.

"Who doesn't remember me."

"I do now." Twelve suddenly spoke. "You impersonated a fresh MI6 agent, we had an adventure and we exchanged numbers. (Ten, Eleven, stop staring at me in that way!)"

"Yes, coincidently, you reminded yourself about me in your lady form. How many years have passed for you since then? Decades, I suppose. In any other situation, I should feel offended, but actually - I don't care right now."

"Fine, we met," Thirteen re-clarified him. "but Missy and Twelve spent months together..."

"Yeah, it's frustrating."

"... I admit, you're a great actor, but not such good to pretend that you weren't aware of my future for the whole time. Moreover, do you recall the incident with the dead changing into cyberman? You lived through it, thus you had to hear about Missy."

"Dumb as ever," female Master commented. "I did mentioned that I wasn't sure if between current me and the handsome Prime Minister ("Thanks, sis.") were some other boys around."

"The solution was simple." Spymaster continued. "MI6 and UNIT might not like each other, but they still shared some information. By that I realised that Missy will be my future regeneration, so logically I would need to wipe out my memories or something would cause it or someone would do it to me. Who knows maybe, it would be you." he shrugged. "Anyway, I will continue with my plots, you would be you and I will get to destroy some planets on the way. Especially, one particular."

"Gallifrey didn't deserve it." Lady Doctor berated him.

"Not from my point of view." he spat. "Not when your DNA is in me and in every time lord in existence."

"You selfish... wait a moment, if you're a regeneration before Missy, how did you know that I was at Gallifrey at all? It's locations was hidden from me."

"UNIT's records. Of course, they could be invalid, but your reaction at Eiffel Tower confirmed them."

"It doesn't make sense." Doctor jumped in, before his lady self said another insult. "I was sent here to save Gallifrey, the Moment was clear about it, but...oh, yes. Timelines of four of you are mixed. Would it be possible that our home-world couldn't be actually destroyed? Have you, Spymaster, and Missy checked when exactly you visited it? Or as you stated that you found the truth in the Matrix, have you noted when other Masters were on Gallifrey?"

"You don't get it, don't you?" Spymaster laughed.

"Ugh, what is it this time? I'm tired of those games."

"Destroying it, successful or not, was just the bonus. The pure reward is you." he turned to Thirteen. "You're the latests Doctor and you HATE me."

Her eyes became stones.

"This you, will rememberer of what I'm capable. What's more, you won't forget, who told you about the timeless child. Maybe, it would be really hilarious, if Gallifrey would exist, because from now on - you would never be able to trust your own people. Wow, suddenly plenty of sick theories are born." he giggled. "I wonder who your parents are. What's more, your brother? Could it be that they never loved you and were just hired to watch you? Who were you in your past regenerations? A saviour? A killer? (That one would be interesting.) Is it possible that your mind was wiped as punishment? Did you have any family before this life? If yes, imagine if Rassilon himself was intentionally matching your descendants with other time lords to get the most pure lineage. Or maybe if any child was born, it was killed in the first place, but I doubt it. Your granddaughter lived long enough..."

"STOP IT!"

Thirteen jumped on him and there was needed a reaction from all time lords to separate them from each other.

"Why are you doing this!?" she asked among tears.

"Because you're the reason why I will die on this ship!"

ooo

**BEFORE**

It was suppose to be easy. Grab the Doctor. Go back to the Gallifrey. Show her the truth about the timeless child. Sit comfortably and enjoy watching her breaking down.

He found Doctor near the place, which was called as the Boundary and took her hand, but instead of being teleported to Gallifrey - there was a bang, then flash and suddenly Spymaster found himself looking at his female and Prime Mister reincarnation, who were as astonished as him. Oh, his shocked lady Doctor was there as well.

Later, Missy tried to kill him, somehow Ex-Prime Minister convinced her to not do it and his female self scared Doctor in running away.

In the end, it was Saxon Master, who decided to describe everything as best as he could. The colony ship. The cyberman. The Moment, which most probably caused the sudden appearance of two new time lords. Spymaster didn't take it well.

"Wow, he destroyed that tree almost with his bare hands." Master was nicely surprised. "I'll be so cool in the future."

"IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THAT! I HAD A PLAN!"

"Funny, me too." Missy yawned.

"Sis, why are you so bitter toward him?" Master asked. "OK, his plotting isn't going well ("I am here, you know!" new time lord shouted.), but he is still another clever and handsome version of us. And please don't say that it'd destroy the time continuity. We've already passed that. It can't get worse...hopefully..."

Missy told them everything. Then, Spymaster told them everything.

"F**k."

"I won't die here." Missy spoke emotionlessly.

"Listen, I also don't like it." Spymaster replied. "But of that I'm sure. Moreover, you're here because of Doctor. If not for him/her, all would be better. Why haven't you ran when you had a chance anyway?"

"Yeah, sis. I've been wondering about it as well. Your attitude has making me worried for all this time."

"Oi! Don't you jump on me now, or you will regret it." Missy threatened. "Why won't you ask me why I'm furious at the guy over there?"

"Why?" Master humoured her.

"Because I'm me because of him." she looked at Spymaster. "You did something, what gave me those emotions. Precisely, some about a certain time lord and you have no idea, how murderous I feel whenever I get a deja vu, but I can't point it to anything particular." Missy stepped dangerously close to him. "I will repeat my question - WHAT DID YOU DO!?"

"I've already told you everything what I know!" he didn't back down. "It's probably only your thing."

"My thing?" she quoted. "Trust me, it started even before you."

"Don't look at me." Master objected. "I only wanted a pet during that year and to kill Rassilon. That's all."

"Exactly." Spymaster agreed.

"Yep, yep, keep trying to delude yourselves." Missy sighed and her mood suddenly gloomed. "Anyway, it doesn't matter now. There is no Doctor, just some obnoxious individual with a outrageous number of lives."

"We need to get out of this ship." youngest time lord reminded. "Unfortunately, to do it, we would need to cooperate with Doctors or whomever they are."

"And make sure that Missy won't die." Spymaster added.

"I won't die here." the time lady insisted. "I'm tired of this joke, make a new one."

"Listen..."

"Haven't you heard her?" Master intervened before his future male self could say more. "She won't die here."

"Not you too..." the time lord complained. "Why are you on her side?

"She is prettier than you."

"Of course, I am." Missy brushed her hair.

"Seriously?" Spymaster raised an eyebrow doubtfully.

"Well, the truth is that Master decides how all will end." Ex-Prime Minister stated. "If I die that it's my choice. Not Cybermen's, not Daleks', not the bastard Rassilon or any of his followers, not that bloody Momen..."

To their astonishment, a thunder hit a tree next to them.

"I mean: not the oh so unique Moment creation..." he corrected himself with a pale face.

("That was close." Missy commentated, while hiding behind Spymaster.)

"Certainly, not the Doctor." Master finished. "It's me and only me. Do you get it now?"

ooo

**NOW**

"Oh, boy. He said too much." Missy muttered and smacked her younger self to show her displeasure.

"She dies, so it's my end as well." Spymaster repeated what he knew, while rubbing his head.

"...are you certain of it?" Twelve raised a little from his chair, again - not feeling any pain. He hoped that he would hear only one shocking and gruesome news, but unfortunately there was more and the day had not ended yet. "How have you found out this information?"

"Let's say that my sources are superb. I'm aware of day and place." the time lord reconfirmed. "We have less than a week and yes - It will happen at the deck 507."

"I won't die here." the dark-haired time lady stated.

"Who would do this?" Twelve asked Spymaster. "How?"

"He doesn't know." Missy answered before him."Junior did a good research, but this special information somehow was difficult to find."

"We're on the ship full of Cybermen, isn't it obvious?" Doctor pointed. "Thirteen, you were here before, can you tell us what you remember?"

"Umm... they left the settlement together," the time lady started. "They wanted to reach the elevator to lower levels and find Master's Tardis .Cyberman were moving up then, thus I believe that they had enough time to leave the ship safely..."

"Seriously? A mere cyberman army? Oh, come on, I'm worth more. Think again." Missy objected. "Who are our suspects? A rather short list: Doctor, his companions and settlers. All of them weak or not bloodthirsty."

"No," Ten suddenly said. "there is one more."

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry, but..." he turned to Master. "It's you."

"What?" Ex-Prime Minister laughed. "Are you nuts?"

"Because when Twelve looks at you, he actually doesn't see you. Because you are only a piece from his past." Ten explained with sad eyes. "You don't feel any connection to that me, who you met on the ship."

"And why would it matter?"

"Twelve could have never reached you, but he could have your future self."

"You're imagining a situation, which you have to get experience. You don't have all data to foresee the outcome."

"True, but I've spent time with you, Missy and Twelve."

In this moment, it was Master's resolve, which started crumbling.

"Bollocks. I would never do it." he disagreed. "Especially, to her."

"You could." it was Missy's warm palm on his, which make him silent.

Master shook his head, as if he could deny everting, but in the end he also knew that it was useless. They could be the same person, but there were some differences, so when the right moment would arise, it was very probable that they could not agree with themselves.

"You won't die here." Twelve said, while standing up with Ten supporting him. "I won't let it."

"Charming as it is, it doesn't depend on this you." Spymaster spatted.

"We moved far away from other important topic." Eleven had spoken for the first time. "Why my youngest self doesn't feel anything when the timeless child was mentioned? I realised one thing, Doctor comes from the time war, where everything was in flux. Civilizations appeared and vanished in seconds, many beings were born only because of an altered timeline. It makes me wonder if the timeless child could also be the result of it... and much more."

"The Moment gathered all of us here." Doctor reminded. "I believe that it is the proper time that we should be enlighten what is really going on."

"You're right." a new voice was heard among trees, which belonged to young blond haired woman.

"Rose?" Ten asked astonished. "Is that you?"


	17. Of Truths - Part II

"The Moment gathered all of us here." Doctor reminded. "I believe that it is the proper time that we should be enlighten what is really going on."

"You're right." a new voice was heard among trees, which belonged to young blond haired woman.

"Rose?" Ten asked astonished. "Is that you?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not." the female apparition replied. "I've only taken her form, or rather her other form - Bad Wolf. I'm the Moment and I can do anything."

"You brought us all here." the youngest time lord stated. "I can understand that you wanted to show me that with my other regenerations, we all can save Gallifrey, but I hear that even with our intervention, it's still lost. So why should we even bother?"

"Oh, silly. Why do you ask when you already know the answer?" she glowed.

It was like a hit of supernova, reaching deep inside the brain and they all understood.

"The universe was saved, but there was also the price." Doctor started. "The time war was horrible and impacted so many civilisations, planets, galaxies... to have all in balance, some element had to be created to keep it like that."

"The timeless child." Bad Wolf nodded. "Don't look so confused, I didn't reveal it to you, because I wanted you to be yourself and free of the burden. However, even if you knew it, would it change who you really are, Thirteen?"

"Yes," she said with a pout. "Or at least I had a choice in it."

"You have."

"Me? No, not at all, there are much more 'me' involved into it." Lady Doctor glanced at her reincarnations. "If it was only my choice, you would leave my past self out of this."

"True, but it isn't an easy decision. You need all the support, which you can get." the Moment pointed at Spymaster. "by the way, do you hate him?"

"Huh?" she looked at the fellow time lord with confusion, who was similarly surprised as she. "What does it have to do with this?"

"His life."

"Then in that case, I should be included in this conversation." Spymaster stepped out.

"Don't forget about me and sis." his younger version added.

"Universe can hardy forget about you Masters." The Moment stated with some exasperation.

"Get to the point," Twelve suddenly jumped in. "how can you make Missy survive?"

"By having not one timeless child, but two children."

There was a panic, questions, outrage and somehow a decision.

"No." Spymaster said.

"Propose better option, Bad Wolf." Missy ordered. "because this black ridding hood is not taking it."

"Exactly." Master agreed.

"I think the bargain is fair." The Moment cooked her head.

"Well, I don't want to be dead, but the alternative isn't superb." Missy continued. "Master would surely leave the colony ship, Spymaster would become me some day, I would regenerate, but then what?" she glared at Twelve. "Back to Tardis, back to the vault, back to you (or your female self?) for stars only know for how long or be stranded here. Should I even mention consequences of me being another template for time lords race? Because, there will be. So no, it can't be."

Spymaster sighed mentally, at least with this, Masters were in agreement, becasue he couldn't allow himself for another quarrel.

"Thirteen, you must promise me something." Twelve spoke.

"Huh?" Lady Doctor turned to her younger regeneration.

"If we became the Timeless Child, the timeline would still need to stay intact somehow, which would mean that, I, in this form, would never see Missy again... But you can." he looked at his future self. "Whatever will come, you will find Missy, you will save her and take her whenever she wants. Also, if she wished so, you will let her go."

"That's new." Master raised an eyebrow. "What have happened with 'you're my responsibility' and my resocialization? Ten was quite insistent with it, when I was dying."

"A bad solution." the converse Doctor commented. "I had my reasons then. We were the last of time lords, I couldn't leave you on Earth, but I couldn't let you go as well, but what's the most important, I was lonely... I didn't think straight. Even if I provided you with a more comfortable prison than you gave me..."

"Come on, I feed you twice a month."

"...ugh...it would still be a prison." he finished with a roll of his eyes. "Right, Twelve?"

"...yes... I thought that I could change you in what I wanted to have, but actually it would be pointless."

"Let me guess, would it be a waste of a much much much precious time?" Missy asked.

"No, you would lose those things, which I like in you the most." Twelve explained. "I was your jailer, but what you really needed was a guide. If you will ever require my advise, I will try to help as much as I can."

"Listen, if you let me go, I won't be 'good'." Missy clarified, not believing what she was hearing. "I will be praising children for not doing their homework and skipping classes. Moreover, on Christmas, I would snatch all presents and leave coals instead.

"School is useful, if they teach interesting subjects." he shrugged. "If it's only for naughty children, then it's fine."

("Is Twelve all right?" Eleven asked his youngest self, but was shushed immediately.)

"If I saw a poor sick kitten on the way," the time lady continued. "I wouldn't nurse it back to health, but would give it a knife, gun and teach it how to hunt dogs."

"Is it even possible?"

"Try me." she raised her head confidently.

"You see now?" Twelve jumped up and somehow his back wasn't painful any more. "That was my mistake. You would stop being Missy and I would deeply regret it."

"What do you think, Master?" Ten asked the other time lord with a small smile. "Sounds quite promising, doesn't it?"

Ex-Prime Minister shook his head and glanced at Missy, truth to be told, he could hardly refuse her, plus - those brown optimistic eyes of that Doctor occasionally could become his soft spot. However as few of them already decided their fate, they still had some obstacles on the way.

"No." Spymaster repeated.

"I've thought that you wanted to live." Thirteen turned to him.

"Thanks to you - I don't care."

"Do we have to have this conversation over again?" she asked upset, then the time lady charged on him with a renewed strength. "OK, fine, you want me to hate you? So hear me - yes, I hate when you delight in killing, when you mock everything what is good. I loath your lack respect on all what isn't to your liking, but above heavens and hells - I hate that you can't see that you could be something more! Are you glad now?!"

"Barely." he answered and only removed an artificial dust from his suit.

"Ugh! Do you want to compare the pain, which we have felt during our life? Thanks to Rassilon, your role was planed from the beginning and you have no influence in that." she grabbed the lapels of his coat making him come closer. "Mine, too! It seems that I was born millennia ago and it dreads me to think who I was then or what I did."

"Exactly!" he freed himself. "You have realised it just now, I have to experience it for all those years. Drums were always with me, just like sneering, ignorance, loneliness..." Spymaster stopped in the middle, noticing that he should have never used that word aloud. "One such life is enough. If I die, then at least it will end. Furthermore, I won't choose this option, only to give YOU a companion."

"It hurts you too. Why are insisting on such future?"

"Can we stop this?" he glanced at Bad Wolf. "It's boring and it clearly isn't working. As middle child in Masters family with different opinion for the outcome, I don't understand what is the fuss all about."

"Let me." Eleven stepped out. "It seems that my regeneration will never meet you. But somehow Thirteen, Ten and Twelve believe in you. Reincarnations may disagree with some things, but... I trust them in this, do you know why?"

"Enlighten me." he spatted.

"Because, if you bury something deep down, it still will be there." Eleven said with trembling hands. "Some feelings existed from a long time, even if they were forgotten."

"We have a chance on happier ending." the youngest Doctor joined. "Doctors, Masters, Gallifrey, we can end the war... Why not to take it now?"

"I told you, Spymaster." Missy added. "It was there from the beginning. It's in you as well."

"You have done many cruel things." Thirteen glanced at him weakly. "Haven't you realised why I was able to forgive you every time?"

"Now is my turn!" Bad Wolf shouted cheerfully making all of them jump. "I will give you two some privacy."

Suddenly, she vanished and the whole forest froze, leaving only Spymaster and Lady Doctor as the only conscious beings.

"As usual, when I have the most fun, you always need to end it." the time lord complained, while glancing at other paralyzed time lords.

"I promise you, Missy won't die, I will find you and save you."

"I don't want your help." he growled. "You are an annoying part of my life and I've told you - if it ends, then at least you won't be there and I will be free."

"What? Free?"

"And you dare to ask?! You were popping up only if it suited you or to save some pitiful civilisation. And for what? To reprimand me and leave me to rot!"

"You were killing people! You...!" she raised her voice then became silent for a moment only to speak again. "...you were thinking about me all that time. Whatever you did, wherever you were, I was there in your mind. You probably were able to mute it sometimes, but it was returning back, wasn't it?"

"How can you even agreed to be the Timeless Child anyway?" Spymaster changed the subject. "Your life will change into a lie in a second."

"Because it is the right thing to do and my other selves already chose it." she explained. "Rose... or Bad Wolf was right, it isn't an easy choice."

"You haven't hesitated much."

"WE haven't, because there are lives at stake. What's more, she was talking to you as well."

This made him listen and he quickly realised that the Moment wanted a happy ending for everyone, including him. Spymaster didn't care, the bad one was always an easy choice, the other - he stopped dreaming about it centuries ago. Unfortunately, Bad Wolf provided him with all encouragement, which she could get. Not only Doctor, but also his future and past.

"I content with my fate now," the time lady took a deep breath. "but I would like to have you in it, because I lo..."

"Don't! If you use that 'L' word, I promise I will kill you on the spot." he threatened her.

"I don't want you dead."

"I warn you."

"I don't want you to be lonely any more."

To Spymaster disgust, she would not shut up, as usual. Doctor could also cut deep into his hearts when needed, as usual. And when she said that ILU phrase, the time lord was not able to control himself, because those feelings where there from the beginning. Spymaster should have probably grabbed her neck and twist it, but he could only think about pulling her closer and kissing as never before.

ooo

The happy end was coming and Bad Wolf clapped with enthusiasm.

Doctor, Ten and Eleven would go back to Elizabethan England and save their home planet. Twelve, Missy and Master would stay on the colony ship and follow their story. Spymaster and Thirteen would teleport, but to quite different places. The time lord to 21st century Earth with some erased memories, he obviously would have a few adventures before he would became Missy. Thirteen would never leave Ko Sharmus, she would need to find her Fam, stop Cyberman and find Cyberium, but the time lady was sure that she would manage. As for the future of Gallifrey - it wasn't certain, but there was still hope.

However, there was still one problem.

"How would you find Missy, Thirteen?" Twelve asked. "It's difficult to land on a ship near the black hole. You would need some kind of link, like DNA?"

"I can give you some of my hair." Missy proposed.

"Huh? No, no need." Thirteen said. "I already have it. What?... Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh, you devil." Master patted his future self, who only rolled his eyes.

ooo

"Missy!" Thirteen shouted while ruining through a familiar forests on the memorable colony ship. "Where are you?"

The coordinates weren't exact, but the time lady landed on the correct deck, however Doctor was conducting her search for almost an hour and there was no track of her friend.

"Missy! Please, if you hear me, say something! I can't leave without you, I promised him that I will...!"

"Fine! Fine, I'm here. Just strop screaming, oh, my head." a female voice appeared behind her and to Doctor's joy there was Missy sitting on the grass.

"You are alive!"

"Of course, I am... ugh... but if it is a hug...air... you are squeezing too hard."

"Sorry." Doctor let her go. "Are you all right?"

"I think so, but the Bad Wolf girl could have warned me that I would have an awful headache afterwards." she rubbed her temple. "But most importantly - How do I look? How is my hair? Am I still a high-cheeks blue-eyes femme fatale?"

"... umm... actually, you didn't regenerate..."

"What!?"

"Let's go back to Tardis. I will be easier, if we all would explain it to you."

"Who is 'we'?"

ooo

"All of us here?"

Missy couldn't believe what was the first thing, which he saw when entering the Tardis. As well, as that Twelve gave her a strong hug, just as his female self. Unfortunately, it lasted only five seconds and he quickly moved away with a red blush.

"Yeah, sis." Master greeted her after Big Eyebrows Doctor. "It seems that some conscious machines have a strange sense of humour."

"In that case, shouldn't we be expecting a new time crisis on the way? Again."

"Well, we had some doubts." he admitted. "There was a bang and suddenly we woke up on Lady Doctor's Tardis. All expect of you, Eleven and Junior."

"It took as a while," Ten joined to the conversation. "However, it seems that Rose gave us more that we thought. The history is still intact, Thirteen and you are still yourselves, more or less... only our four was 'picked up' from the time stream to be put here. But... " he smiled with his huge optimistic grin. "Listen carefully, because this is the fun part. We checked as much as we could and it seems that we aren't some aberrations in time, we are actually a new kind of entities. Very unique, but still a natural being in time and space. Therefore, we don't have to worry about breaking any of our timelines, we can have a normal life as everyone else."

"Describe 'normal' to me."

"We can... we..." Ten scratched his head. "It's difficult to say..."

"Stop now, if you want to stay sane." Master advised.

"So we all are like a new race? Timeless Children?" she mused. "We need to get a new name, because seriously - 'children'? One more day and they would say that I couldn't buy any alcohol."

"I propose: Master race." Ex-Prime Minister said.

"Here we go again..." Ten sighed and shook his head.

"I vote for that." Missy raised her hand. "But where is Eleven and Doctor? Not that I'm worried, but I'm curious."

"We don't know." Twelve answered. "We tried to find them with Tardis' scanner, but with no results."

"I wonder, why do you even bother?" voice of Spymaster was heard from the far corner in the chamber. If not for Missy's cunning sight, she wouldn't even notice that he was there. "It's clear that they weren't 'picked up from the time stream', as Ten said."

"Huh?"

"Yeez, isn't it obvious?"

Silence.

"Really? Not even a slight idea? Will you dare to ask why?"

"Fine, why?" Thirteen humoured him and leaned next to her favourite Master, what disturbed him a little, but soon Spymaster was his composed self again.

"Have you heard about 'an unfinished business'?"

"Yep, so?"

("I think that it's for ghosts, right?" Ten asked. / "Shush." Master quieted him.)

"They didn't have it." Spymaster explained. "Doctor wanted to end the time war. Eleven - solve the mystery, save Earth, go back to his companion, whatever... but, we have."

There were exchanged some shy glances and no one had spoken for a very long while. Moreover, they all prayed for some kind of distraction, even a Cybermen / Dalek / any monster attack suddenly seemed as good proposition. Lucky, heaves or hells heard their calling and Thirteen's stomach growled.

"Ops, sorry." she apologised. "I've forgotten that I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast."

"Don't worry, they served only the same plain porridge. Yuck." Missy commented. "OK, whom should a hungry girl have to kill to get a delicious dinner?"

"Oh, I know! There is a great restaurant on Alpha Genesis VII." Ten proposed. "They also have great milk shakes!"

"You will change your mind, when you will see from what they are made of." Master informed. "But I've heard that the rest of menu is fine. So, yes, we can go."

"Milk shakes, you say..." Twelve's eyebrows twitched, already thinking how to break into the milk shake factory.

"No, at first - dinner." Missy woke him up from his planning. "You can save the planet later."

"Are you coming?" Thirteen nudged Spymaster.

The time lord resited the urge to roll his eyes. It was a total mess. Three Doctors and Masters in one Tardis, each group with different attitude for life. Logically, nothing like this should have happened, but here there were and he wouldn't change it for anything else.

"Sure." he replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My wonderful readers:
> 
> 1\. Happy 2021
> 
> 2\. thank you for sticking with me in 2020, your comments really made my day and I was so happy that anybody liked it
> 
> 3\. I hope that you like the ending and I didn't make Spymaster too whinny. But I do regret that I didn't have a true villain in the fic. Maybe next time I will resurrect Rassilon ;)
> 
> 4\. yes, it is the end, but maybe I will write some short fics with adventures of our six time lords, for now, I would like to finish my other fic "Doctor Cinderella" and "Cinderlock"
> 
> 5\. thank you again for readding my fic

**Author's Note:**

> Do you like it? I hope that I didn't make them too silly. Or if I did - I hope that they were funny ;)
> 
> As for 10th Doctor - he was rather happy in seeing Master. I've always thought that he would be quite glad to meet him again. That is what I felt after end of time episode and season 3 and as he was the last of his kind back then. (It was always strange for me that with Missy and current new Master, Doctor always was terrified, as if nothing has happened between them ;/ )
> 
> As for 13 Doctor and her Master will be in next chapter.


End file.
